Suspected IS Associate Arrested: A 20-year-old Slovakian is linked to the terrorist assassination wing of IS.
Late Breaking: Another Arrest in Connection with the IS Terror Cell
In the midst of an IS terror cell that's been brewing since the summer of 2023, another suspect has been apprehended.
A 20-year-old Slovak native and Vienna-Favoriten resident is suspected to have been part of an IS terrorist cell alongside Beran A. and Hasan E. These three young men, all followers of the radical Islamic militia "Islamic State" (IS), are said to have had close ties since May 2023 and planned simultaneous attacks in Mecca, Dubai, and Istanbul since February 2024.
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Unraveling the Istanbul Attack Plans
The 20-year-old Slovak traveled to Istanbul on March 4, 2024, following Hasan E., who had already visited Turkey. The two were old acquaintances from the same school and shared interests in martial arts and the same religious views. They attended the same mosques and even prayed together. During their trip to Istanbul, they dined, sightseeing, and shopped for perfumes. Hasan E. headed to Mecca on March 7, and his friend returned to Austria without any attack occurring in Istanbul.
Beran A., a 20-year-old from Neunkirchen and an IS sympathizer, is identified as the main suspect in the thwarted Taylor Swift concert attack plans that were set for August 9, 2024, at the Ernst Happel Stadium. After learning about a terrorist threat from a foreign partner service, the young man from Lower Austria was apprehended, causing concert cancellation.
Coordinated Worldwide Terror Strikes
Subsequent investigations reveal that Beran A. was harboring terrorist intentions for some time. Together with Hasan E. and the aforementioned suspect, they intended to launch a coordinated attack on March 11, 2024 - the beginning of Ramadan – at three targeted locations abroad. Beran A. planned to execute his attack in Dubai, aiming to assassinate a soldier and then fire upon bystanders with the soldier's revolver. His confession states he abandoned his plan at the last minute due to fear of being shot dead by police.
Hasan E. carried out the terrorist attacks in Mecca. On March 7, he obtained a weapon and brutally stabbed a security officer in front of the Al-Haram Mosque, the largest mosque in the world. As other security forces tried to overpower him, he continued to attack them with his knife. The trial of the 20-year-old in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to commence shortly. The death penalty is applicable in Saudi Arabia, with the number of executions rising from 172 in 2023 to 345 in the previous year[1].
Slovak Under Scrutiny
The third suspect remained in Vienna until his recent arrest. By analyzing phone and chat data seized from Beran A., it is likely that authorities identified the Slovak as a potential terror suspect. It is confirmed that the man has been under surveillance by state security since the fall[1], though tactical considerations led to the arrest being made recently. The Slovak is currently not in Josefstadt prison[1]. Interrogations are underway in connection with the suspicion of terrorist association (§ 278 b StGB)[1].
The Slovak's involvement with the Taylor Swift concert plot is unclear. Regarding his Istanbul attack plans, he is incriminated by a video Beran A. posted online on February 16, 2024, intended for his family following his planned suicide attack in Dubai[1]. In the video, Beran A. explains the motivations of the three young men for simultaneously executing terror attacks in the Arab world. The attacks aimed to restore IS rule in the name of God[1].
[1] - Sources from the Verfassungsblog, DerStandard.at, Heute.at, Kurier.at, Wiener Zeitung
- The 20-year-old Slovak, under suspicion of being part of an IS terrorist cell, is likely to be identified as a potential terror suspect due to phone and chat data seized from another suspect.
- The suspect, who resides in Josefstadt, is currently under interrogations in connection with the suspicion of terrorist association.
- The Slovak was allegedly planning to carry out an attack in Istanbul, as indicated by a video posted online by another suspect, Beran A.
- The video, published on February 16, 2024, reveals the motives of the three young men for simultaneously executing terror attacks in the Arab world, with the goal of restoring IS rule in the name of God.
