2 explosions rock the area around the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen
Three Swedish nationals have been arrested in connection with two predawn explosions in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Three young Swedes were arrested Wednesday in connection with two predawn explosions that occurred in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen, prompting a nearby Jewish school to close for the day. “Our investigation shows that the blasts likely were caused by hand grenades,” said Jens Jespersen, a spokesperson for the Copenhagen police, adding that it was unclear whether the Israeli Embassy was the target. He said the explosions were about 100 meters (yards) from the embassy, which is located in an area with other embassies. The two arrested on the train will likely face preliminary charges of illegal weapons possession, he said. After the explosions, heavily armed officers, search dogs and forensic teams inspected the area around the Israeli Embassy. Copenhagen’s Jewish school, Carolineskolen, which is just down the street from the embassy, was already scheduled to be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Jewish New Year holidays, said Michael Rachlin, a spokesperson for Denmark’s Jewish community. There will be extra security around the main synagogue in downtown Copenhagen, the Jewish community said in a statement. Community chairman Henrik Goldstein wrote that he “would like to encourage people to be aware when moving in public spaces.” “And be critical of what you hear on social media and rumors,” he wrote, adding that “there is no reason to refrain from participating in Jewish life.” Police refused to provide details about the intensity of the blasts. Jespersen said the Danish investigation will include looking at what Sweden’s domestic security agency SAPO said on May 30, when it accused Iran of using established criminal networks in Sweden as a proxy to target Israeli or Jewish interests in Denmark. The investigation will also look at possible links with loud bangs that were heard in the area around the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm late Tuesday, he said. “It is true that the police have made findings at the Israeli Embassy (in Stockholm), but we will not go into detail about what these findings are,” police spokesperson Rebecca Landberg said, citing pre-investigation confidentiality. In late January, the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm was sealed off after what was then described as “a dangerous object” was found on its grounds. “I look with severity on the shooting at Israel’s embassy in Stockholm last night and the events reported from Copenhagen this morning,” Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer was quoted as saying by the Swedish news agency TT. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/2-predawn-explosions-rock-area-israeli-embassy-copenhagen-114417957