Austria: Arrest of Suspect with DGST Support over Terrorist Attack Plots
Austrian authorities have announced the arrest, with the cooperation of the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), of an Austrian national suspected of links to the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS) and of planning large-scale terrorist attacks in Austria.
The security support provided by the DGST as part of this counterterrorism operation was praised by State Secretary for the Protection of the Constitution Jörg Leichtfried, as well as by the Director General of Public Security Franz Ruf, in a statement issued by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior.
The two Austrian officials particularly thanked the DGST for its valuable contribution in this case.
The Ministry of the Interior also stressed, in the same statement relayed by the Austrian press, that cooperation between the Austrian Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) and the DGST was “particularly decisive for the success of the investigations”, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
According to the authorities, the investigations revealed indications of concrete attack plans, notably targeting law enforcement forces in Austria.
A search carried out at the suspect’s home led to the seizure of several electronic devices containing IS propaganda material, as well as videos produced by the suspect, one of which reportedly shows him pledging allegiance to the organization.
Austrian authorities indicated that the analysis of the seized material is ongoing and that investigations are still underway.
Editorial team/le7tv (with MAP)
