Terror Attack at Vienna Westbahnhof Foiled: 14-Year-Old Arrested

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the 14-year-old was arrested on February 10 by investigators from the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (LVT) and the WEGA.

After Foiled Terrorist Attack at Vienna's Westbahnhof: 14-Year-Old in Pre-Trial Detention

Among other things, several knives and numerous materials were found on the 14-year-old, indicating allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). The teenager has been in pre-trial detention since February 12 due to the risk of committing and executing the crime. This was announced by the spokeswoman for the regional court, Christina Salzborn, in response to an APA inquiry. The pre-trial detention order is legally binding. The 14-year-old made no statements before the examining magistrate. The arrest took place in Vienna-Währing based on an order from the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the 14-year-old - an Austrian citizen with Turkish roots - is suspected of membership in a terrorist organization or a criminal organization. The starting point was tips to the Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) that an initially unknown supporter of a terrorist organization had spread stories and videos with Islamist content on several TikTok profiles. The nature of these postings suggested that it was an IS supporter. Further investigations led the DSN to the identity of the poster. The public prosecutor's office then ordered his arrest.

Knives and IS Material Seized from 14-Year-Old

At the time of the arrest, the 14-year-old had a knife with a saw and a five-centimeter blade in his trouser pocket, according to the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to the arrest, the prosecution also ordered a house search. Investigators found numerous Islamist books, handwritten sketches of attacks with knives and machetes at a train station and on police officers. A handwritten manual for the production of explosive material, intended to serve as a detonator for a bomb that was also yet to be manufactured, was also discovered. Furthermore, DSN officers found aluminum pipes and table legs as well as duct tape in a hiding place in the basement compartment of the apartment. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this material was intended to be used for bomb construction. In a bag, a combat knife with a 16.5-centimeter blade, another folding knife with a seven-centimeter blade, and a flag with the Islamic creed were discovered. The 14-year-old refused to make a statement during the initial interrogation.

(APA/Red)

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