Danish police arrested three young Swedes on Wednesday in connection with the double explosion near the Israeli embassy in Denmark, and their Swedish counterparts are investigating shots fired at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on Tuesday, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. These two incidents, which did not cause any injuries, come the day after a major attack by Iran against Israel, which has promised that Tehran will pay “the price”. Two explosions occurred in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in the “immediate vicinity” of the Israeli embassy in Denmark, probably caused by grenades thrown, according to the police. Three Swedes, aged 15 to 20, were arrested in this investigation, said Jens Jesperson, a police official in Copenhagen, during a press conference. Embassy security personnel heard the explosions at around 3:20 a.m. (01:20 GMT). By mid-morning, the area was cordoned off and police were busy in the autumn sun, an AFP journalist noted. – Security measures for the Jewish community – No traces of an explosion were visible from outside the security perimeter. The Danish intelligence service, PET, is “closely” monitoring the situation and assisting the police in their investigation. “We are in dialogue with the Israeli embassy regarding security and are constantly assessing the extent of the security measures already implemented in a number of locations in the Jewish community,” they wrote in an email to AFP. It is too early to say whether there is a connection between the explosions and the embassy, police spokesman Jakob Hansen said. Israeli Ambassador to Denmark David Akov said in a message on X that he was “shocked by the horrific incident near the embassy a few hours ago.” The embassy is located in the affluent suburb of Hellerup, north of Copenhagen, in an area that is home to many other foreign diplomatic missions, including those of Italy, Romania, Thailand, Iran and Turkey. In neighboring Sweden, the embassy was targeted by gunfire, which caused no injuries, on Tuesday around 6:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. GMT). “We have made observations of shots fired at the Israeli embassy but we do not want to disclose the exact findings that have been made because the investigation is ongoing,” Rebecca Landberg, the press officer for Stockholm police, told AFP. – Increase in the number of anti-Semitic acts – Impacts were observed on the building, the police said in a statement. An investigation has been opened for aggravated breach of weapons legislation, endangering others and unlawful threats. “I take the shooting that took place at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm last night and the events reported from Copenhagen this morning very seriously,” Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told TT news agency. Several incidents have already occurred near the Israeli embassy in Sweden since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. In February, a grenade was found inside the diplomatic mission, which the Israeli ambassador described as an attempted attack. In May, gunfire was reported outside the building, leading to increased security measures around Israeli interests in Sweden. Swedish intelligence services claimed in late May that Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out “acts of violence” against Israel, a claim Tehran denied. Authorities have also recorded an increase in anti-Semitic acts in Sweden since the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. All reproduction and representation rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116