Austrian authorities foiled a terrorist plot to bomb one of Vienna’s Christmas markets, local media reported on Monday.
The attack was planned by three men, with the leader of the group being a 24-year-old who has been influenced by the ideology of the Islamic State, the AFP reported. All three suspects are ethnic Chechens, according to the report.
One of the group’s targets was reportedly the Christmas market in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral the the Vienna city center, which they had planned to attack around Dec. 25, according to the report. Other possible targets were located in the Austrian city of Salzburg, and in Germany, France and Luxembourg, the report said.
An anonymous tip-off led to the thwarting of the plot.