VIENNA — Authorities in Austria have apprehended a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly plotting an attack on a railway station in Vienna, revealing connections to the Islamic State group. According to official reports released on Wednesday, the teenager, an Austrian national of Turkish descent, was taken into custody on February 10 after being radicalized through online channels. The arrest came after intelligence agencies received tips about a supporter of IS who was sharing content featuring Islamic extremism on various TikTok profiles.

The Interior Ministry mentioned that the minor had been identified, prompting prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant on the grounds of suspected involvement with a terrorist organization. At the time of arrest, the young suspect was found carrying a knife. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered a stash of extremist literature, sketches depicting knife and machete attacks on transport hubs and police officers, as well as illustrations of militants accompanied by the IS flag. Furthermore, authorities discovered handwritten notes detailing the creation of explosive devices, suggesting plans for a bomb.

Investigators also retrieved additional materials intended for bomb-making from the basement of the same building, along with more knives. During the initial rounds of questioning, the boy opted not to provide any statements. The Interior Ministry disclosed that the target of the planned assault was the Westbahnhof station, a prominent transportation hub in the capital, although no specific date was provided for when the attack was intended to occur.

This incident occurs in the backdrop of a separate violent episode in Villach, southern Austria, where a teenager lost his life, and five others sustained injuries during a stabbing incident linked to an individual with ties to the Islamic State. The assailant, a 23-year-old Syrian national, was arrested shortly after the attack occurred on Saturday afternoon.