By Two Swedish teenagers were ordered held in pre-trial detention Thursday in connection with two predawn explosions near the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen a day earlier.
The suspects, aged 16 and 19, face preliminary charges of possessing illegal weapons and carrying five hand grenades. Prosecutors said they are investigating “whether the motive could be a terror attack.”
“This was pretty close to the Israeli Embassy,” prosecutor Søren Harbo said before the court hearing. The blasts damaged a roof terrace of a nearby house but did not harm the embassy itself.
The explosions occurred early Wednesday in a neighborhood housing several foreign diplomatic missions. No injuries were reported, though a nearby Jewish school was closed following the incident.
Danish broadcaster DR reported that the teenagers are suspected of acting “in association and together with prior agreement with one or more perpetrators.” Both denied the charges, according to local media.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday on a train at Copenhagen’s central station. A third suspect, aged 19, initially detained near the embassy, has been released.
In Sweden, Fredrik Hallström of the domestic security agency SAPO said, “The latest incident at the Israeli embassy is not classified as a terrorist crime at the moment.” However, Johan Olsson from the Swedish police’s National Operations Department described the charges as “aggravated weapons offenses, causing danger or other serious illegal threats and damage.”
This incident follows a separate attack late Tuesday when shots were fired at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, with no injuries reported and no arrests made.
The events have heightened security concerns around Israeli diplomatic missions in Scandinavia, prompting increased vigilance from local authorities.
apnews.com
