Four explosions rocked Swedish cities in just over an hour early Friday morning, with no one reported injured, police said.
Police at the site of one of two explosions in Gothenburg-Image Source: The Guardian
The first two explosions occurred in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, just 10 minutes apart. The blasts were at separate addresses, and police said they were investigating whether they were linked.
An hour later, two more explosions were reported in Norsborg, a suburb south of Stockholm, and Nyköping, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of the capital.
In all four cases, the blasts occurred at residential buildings. Police said no one was hurt, but there was some material damage.
Swedish police said they were investigating the motives for the explosions, but they did not rule out the possibility that they were linked to gang violence.
Sweden has seen a rise in gang-related violence in recent years, with shootings and bombings becoming more common. In 2022, there were 90 explosions and 101 cases of attempted bombings or preparations for bombings in Sweden. As of 15 August this year, 109 explosions had been recorded.
Police have previously said bombs are mainly used to intimidate targets, while shootings are used to kill enemies.
The country registered 391 shootings in 2022, 62 of them fatal, up from 45 the previous year.
The recent spate of explosions has raised concerns about the security situation in Sweden. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson condemned the attacks and called on police to do everything they can to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“These are serious crimes that have no place in our society,” Andersson said in a statement. “I want to assure the Swedish people that we will not tolerate this kind of violence.”
The explosions come as Sweden is preparing to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November. The government has said it will increase security measures in the lead-up to the conference.
