Vienna Pride parade attack foiled, Austrian police say

Three suspected Islamists have been arrested in Austria over allegedly planning to attack the annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade, police say.

The parade, which took place in the capital, Vienna, on Saturday, attracted more than 300,000 people.

Austrian security services said those arrested in their homes on Saturday were young men, aged 14, 17 and 20.

They released no details, but added that weapons, including knives, an axe, and air guns, had been seized.

The Austrian domestic intelligence chief, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, revealed the arrests at a news conference on Sunday.

He said police had waited to reveal details of the planned attack until after the parade to ensure participants did not feel anxious.

"That's ultimately the goal of terrorism, to cause anxiety and fear in the public. It's also our job not to let that happen."

Mr Haijawi-Pirchner said the men were Austrian nationals of Bosnian and Chechen origin, and that one of them was already known to police due to other terrorism charges.

Austrian authorities were aware that so-called Islamic State (IS) had been urging more attacks, he added.

"There are calls to carry out attacks in Europe again and Europol [European police organisation] just a few days ago published a report to that effect", he said. "We are taking this very seriously".

The last IS attack in Austria took place in November 2020, when a gunman opened fire in a popular nightlife area in Vienna, killing four people and injuring 23 others.