A second man has been arrested over a foiled attack upon the US embassy in Vienna, police in Austria have said.

Yesterday counterterrorism officers detained a man attempting to enter the embassy while carrying explosives and Islamic literature.

Police moved to make their second arrest today in Tulln, 15 miles west of Vienna, after he was implicated in the plot by the 42-year-old Bosnian national already in custody.

The first man arrested, a resident of Lower Austria, said he had been instructed by the second individual to deliver a package to the US embassy.

But detectives indicated that the second suspect – although he admitted knowing the would-be bomber – denied any involvement, while a search of his home did not throw up any evidence.

And a police spokesman revealed that the first suspect appeared confused and had a history of psychiatric care.

The 42-year-old first suspect was detained after initially fleeing on foot when he set metal detector alarms off at the embassy in the Austrian capital.

As well as Islamic texts and grenade like-explosives his backpack was also laden with nails.

"There were a lot of nails in that bag," a counterterrorism spokeswoman told the Associated Press news agency. "Had it exploded, it would have had an enormous shrapnel effect."

Yesterday's incident came a month after three individuals of Arab origin were arrested in connection with an online video warning of attacks if Austria and Germany did not withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
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