TAYLOR Swift plans to keep working to finish her tour after a sick plot by ISIS fanatics was narrowly foiled on Tuesday, a source close to the star has said.
The Eras singer was forced to cancel three of her sold-out Vienna shows after terrorists planned to target Ernst Happel Stadium, where she was set to perform on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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An insider close to Taylor Swift’s entourage said the news came as a huge shock to the entire team, stressing the day was “not easy.”
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, they said Swift was explained the situation in a meeting, saying they were in “shock.”
“The news has been kind of a shock for the whole team, as everyone was looking forward to those concerts in Austria as they are in the last part of the Eras Tour in Europe,” the source shared.
“There was a huge excitement to play in such a historical city, but also a big disappointment to have to cancel those shows.”
The insider went on to say that Taylor held a meeting with her team, who felt “tense” after the threats, to explain what was happening and ensure everyone’s safety.
“The terrorist threat made the team tense in a way that it’s not something easy to deal with, as everyone wants to be safe and just enjoy the tour and work in the best environment possible,” they shared.
“The tour in general and especially in Europe has been going fantastic, and there is a huge disappointment that the concerts are canceled, but everyone is very understanding of the situation and grateful that the Austrian police and the government took the best decision for the security and safety of each and all of us, from the fans to Taylor, to the crews and the team.”
The insider revealed the pop star held a meeting with the entire team to explain what was happening and ensure everyone’s safety.
They claimed Swift is planning to continue working the Eras Tour following the threats.
“We are going to keep working for the next shows coming in London after the stop in Austria, but it wasn’t an easy day to, that is for sure,” the source continued.
“The goal is to wrap up the Euro part of the tour in the best way.”
The day before she was set to hit the stage, authorities received a tip from foreign intelligence agencies about an alleged plotted attack on Swift’s shows.
SUSPECTS ARRESTED
Two suspects, including a 19-year-old male, have been arrested in connection after police found an array of chemicals and other substances at their Ternitz residence.
The teen is said to be a native Austrian who pledged his alliance to the Islamic terror group in July, according to The New York Post.
The suspects allegedly had plans for a mass attack.
Bomb squads were investigating if the materials were going to be used for explosives.
Following the raid, Austrian Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf released a statement.
We have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.
Barracuda Music
“A concrete threat has been averted,” said Ruf.
“The suspected perpetrator was focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. Preparatory actions were detected.”
Barracuda Music, an Austrian concert promoter, also released a statement announcing the cancelation of the shows.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” they wrote.
They also revealed that concert-goers will receive a refund within 10 business days.
The singer is scheduled to visit London from August 15-20 before making her way back to the United States.
Swift will resume her North American leg of the Eras Tour on October 18 in Miami, Florida.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the US venues for comment.
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Barbaric history of ISIS
ISIS, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, is a murderous terrorist network that officially formed in 2004.
The group, known for its barbaric public executions and beheadings, was originally part of al-Qaeda – the terrorists responsible for 9/11 which sparked the decades-long global War on Terror.
They took advantage of instability in Iraq and Syria after 2000 to rule with an iron fist.
After an injection of American troops into Iraq in 2007, ISIS lost some of its power grip in the region.
But it began to reemerge in 2011 and by 2014 the US had formed Operation Inherent Resolve.
The mission involved putting American boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria – as well as other regions in the Middle East.
In 2014, ISIS was the most powerful, best-equipped and wealthiest Islamic extremist group the world had ever seen.
By 2015 it had branches operating in at least eight other countries.
That October, their Egypt network bombed a Russian plane and killed over 220 people.
In November 2015, 130 were murdered and over 300 injured during one of their most brutal attacks on the West in Paris.
And in June 2016, a gunman who pledged himself to the murderous organisation killed at least 48 people at a nightclub in Florida.
By December 2017, ISIS had lost 95 per cent of it’s stolen territory.
But its core ideologies, which included a burning hatred for the Western way of life, continued to inspire countless terrorist attacks around the world.
While American combat in Iraq was officially axed in December 2021, 2,500 troops were left stationed there to work as advisers and trainers for Iraqi security forces trying to fend off extremist forces.
There are believed to be less than 1,000 still stationed in Syria.
Three of those American troops were killed in Jordan on January 28 – in a drone attack at a US military base near the Syrian and Iraq borders.