Terror Attack at Vienna West Station 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) as well as the WEGA.

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

According to APA information, the 14-year-old came to attention due to a tip-off from the German Federal Criminal Police Office. The German investigators had discovered a concerning TikTok profile with radical Islamist content. This profile was linked to the 14-year-old. Subsequently, the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) was informed, which continued to investigate the suspect. The 14-year-old has been in pre-trial detention since February 12 due to the risk of committing and executing the crime. This was confirmed by the spokesperson for the regional court, Christina Salzborn, upon APA's request. The pre-trial detention order is legally binding. The 14-year-old did not provide any information 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 for State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) that an initially unknown supporter of a terrorist organization had spread stories and videos with Islamist ideology on several TikTok profiles. The nature of these postings suggested that it was a supporter of IS. Further investigations led the DSN to the identity of the poster. The public prosecutor then ordered his arrest.

"I do not believe that we were on the verge of an attack. From my perspective, it was an engagement with the ideology of IS and a fantasy that remained in the realm of fantasy," said Anna Mair, the 14-year-old's defense attorney, in an interview with APA. Referring to the alleged intended execution of a terrorist act by the teenager, Mair stated that the 14-year-old had "thoughts about it" and "recorded these thoughts." During a house search, "a child's drawing" was secured. This showed "trains, tracks, little figures, and the U6 station at Westbahnhof," said the lawyer. "Based on my impression, however, I believe that it was a fantasy. We are far from a concrete implementation," Mair explained.

Knife and IS Material Secured from 14-Year-Old

During 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. Furthermore, a handwritten manual for the production of explosive material was discovered, intended to serve as a detonator for a bomb that was also yet to be manufactured.

In addition, DSN officers found aluminum pipes and table legs as well as duct tape in a hidden compartment in the apartment's basement. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this material was intended to be used for bomb-making. 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 in a bag. The 14-year-old refused to make a statement during the initial interrogation.

It was revealed from the sketches he made that the teenager had the Westbahnhof in his sights, according to the Ministry of the Interior upon request from the APA. When the attack was planned remained unclear. There was also no information on whether - and if so, what - contacts the teenager had with the organized jihadist scene. "The investigations are not yet complete," said a spokesperson for Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) upon request from the APA.

Spread of Islamist Propaganda on the Internet Increases

The Ministry of the Interior pointed out in this context that the spread of radical Islamist propaganda in the digital space is increasing and "serves as a source of inspiration for terrorist-motivated acts." "Particularly at risk are teenagers and young adults who come into contact with extremist ideologies through social media and closed online channels," it was stated in a release from the department. So-called "influencer preachers" also reach a wide audience with online appearances - even in Austria - but the perpetrators operate from abroad.

To target indoctrination, terrorist organizations "increasingly use their own computer games and apps," the ministry reported. "At the same time, encrypted communication channels and legal hurdles complicate the work of security authorities, who can only access relevant content after securing a device." The growing digital radicalization thus poses "a serious challenge to internal security in Austria," it was stated.

"This success of the intelligence service shows the importance of effective counter-terrorism," commented the director of the DSN, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, on the foiled attack. "However, the investigative methods of the security authorities must be constantly adapted to the advancing digitalization in order to continue working efficiently."

(APA/Red)

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