Shared intel to prevent attack at Taylor Swift's Vienna concert: US

The United States confirmed on Friday (Aug 9) it provided intelligence to Austria that helped foil an alleged Islamic State plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert.

"We work closely with partners all over the world to monitor and disrupt threats," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

“The US provided critical intelligence to Austrian authorities, enabling them to prevent a potential attack on Taylor Swift's concert,” he added.

Notably, three alleged Islamic State sympathisers have been arrested on charges of plotting a suicide attack at the megastar's concert in Vienna.

Earlier, two primary suspects, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old, were detained, while a third suspect, an Iraqi national was arrested in Austria on Friday.

"The main perpetrator has confessed that he was supposed to carry out a suicide attack with two accomplices," said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

The 19-year-old suspect made a full confession in custody about his allegiance to ISIS and plans to carry out a "bloodbath". Authorities also found machetes and technical devices at his home in the town of Ternitz in preparation for an attack.

They planned to cause as many casualties as possible among the estimated 20,000 fans of the American singer, often referred to as "Swifties", set to gather outside Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium, said national intelligence head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.

His plan also reportedly involved driving a car into the crowd of 20,000 concert-goers and launching a brutal attack with machetes and knives.

Swift’s three concerts were cancelled in Austria after authorities said they foiled a terror attack planned for the Vienna leg of her blockbuster Eras tour.

The European leg of the sold-out tour began in Paris in May and has taken in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Poland.

Her next concerts are at Wembley stadium in London from next Thursday and authorities have said they will go ahead.

(With inputs from agencies)