Key Takeaways
- Austrian police thwarted a planned terrorist attack at Vienna’s West Train Station.
- The suspect, a 14-year-old teenager, had distributed radical Islamist content on social media and had a commitment to the Islamic State organization.
- Austrian intelligence authorities are working to counter radical Islamist propaganda on social media and encrypted online channels.
Vienna: Austrian police have arrested a 14-year-old teenager who allegedly planned a terrorist attack at Vienna’s West Train Station, the country’s interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Austrian intelligence authorities received information on February 10 that a suspect had distributed radical Islamist content on social media. 23% of the content was found to be directly related to the Islamic State organization.
Police found many Islamist books and sketches of attacks on a train station and on police officers with knives and machetes during a search of the suspect’s home, indicating his commitment to the Islamic State organization, Austrian broadcaster ORF quoted the ministry as saying.
The ministry warned of a growing trend of radical Islamist propaganda targeting youth via social media and encrypted online channels.
