Austrian police have stepped up security measures around three Taylor Swift concerts taking place in Vienna this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The move follows the arrest on Wednesday of two people suspected of planning Islamist attacks on major events in the area around Vienna, including a concert by the American superstar.
A 19-year-old Austrian citizen was arrested on Wednesday morning in Ternitz in the province of Lower Austria, said Public Security Director General Franz Ruf.
He said a second arrest took place in Vienna in the afternoon, but did not provide further details about the suspect.
“According to the current state of the investigation, the two suspects were radicalized through the internet,” Mr Ruf said. He said the 19-year-old had “pledged allegiance” to Islamic State in early July.
A major police operation was carried out in Ternitz, where the 19-year-old lived. Several nearby homes were evacuated while his home was searched.
Mr Ruf said chemicals had been found and were being tested.
He said police were taking every measure to ensure all events around Vienna could take place safely, including three Taylor Swift concerts.
He added that special attention would be paid to checking admission tickets for her concerts, which take place at the Ernst-Happel Stadium.
Police said the “terror alert level” in Austria remained high and was being constantly assessed.
The head of police in Vienna, Gerhard Pürstl, said the specific danger had been “minimized”, but the “abstract danger” remained.
He said he expected about 65,000 people to attend the concert each day, as well as 22,000 fans outside the venue.
In addition to increased security checks in and around the concerts, special forces will be deployed in the area around the stadium, as well as dog teams and anti-terrorism units, Mr. Pürstl said.
He warned that fans attending the Taylor Swift concert may experience delays getting into the stadium and urged people to arrive early.
Police said they will conduct mobile and fixed video surveillance, as well as airspace monitoring.
“Extensive search measures” will be carried out, including personal searches, the police statement added.
The investigation is ongoing.
