Photo: Emil Nicolai Helms Ritzau Scanpix via Agence France-Presse Explosions occurred during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in the “immediate vicinity” of the Israeli embassy in Denmark.
Camille Bas-Wohlert – Agence France-Presse in Copenhagen
Published at 8:48 a.m. Updated at 12:29 p.m.
- Europe
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, took place the day after a major attack by Iran against Israel, which for its part promised that Tehran would pay “the price”.
Two explosions occurred during 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 Jespersen, a Copenhagen police official, during a press conference.
Embassy security personnel heard the detonations at around 3:20 a.m. locale.
Security measures for the Jewish community
No trace of an explosion was visible from outside the security perimeter, which was lifted later in the day.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The Danish intelligence service (PET) is following the situation “closely” and assisting 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 at a number of Jewish community locations,” they wrote in an email to AFP.
It is still too early to say whether there is a link between the explosions and the embassy, police spokesman Jakob Hansen said early Wednesday.
Israeli Ambassador to Denmark David Akov said he was “shocked by the horrific incident near the embassy” hours earlier, in a message on X.
This is located in the affluent suburb of Hellerup, north of Copenhagen, in an area that has many other foreign diplomatic missions.
The arrests of the three young Swedes came as Denmark tightened controls on its neighbour after a surge in gang violence over the summer, with Danish criminal gangs suspected of recruiting underage Swedes for gangland crime.
In Sweden, gunfire, which did not cause any injuries, was fired at the embassy around 6pm on Tuesday.
“We have seen gunfire at the Israeli embassy, but we do not want to disclose exactly what has been found because the investigation is ongoing,” Stockholm police press officer Rebecca Landberg told AFP.
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Rise in anti-Semitic acts
Impacts were observed on the building, police said in a statement. An investigation has been opened for aggravated breach of weapons legislation, endangering others and making unlawful threats.
Several incidents have 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 embassy compound, 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 claimed in late May that Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out “acts of violence” against Israel, a claim Tehran has denied.
Authorities have also recorded an increase in anti-Semitic acts in Sweden since the start of the Gaza war.