On Saturday evening, a 28 year old man commited suicide on Bryggaregatan in central Stockholm by triggering an explosive device that was strapped to his body, as reported by all major news outlets in Sweden. The event was preceeded by a car exploding a couple of minutes earlier nearby on Olof Palmes gata.
Aftonbladet reports that police found 5 unexploded pipe bombs on the dead man’s body and a backpack full of nails. Reportedly the bombs could have caused very serious damage had they all gone off at once. The single bomb detonated a couple of metres from the pedestrian street Drottningatan that at the time was packed with Christmas shoppers.
The Swedish security police has confirmed that an investigation is underway and the explosion was a terrorist act. Dagens Nyheter reports that it is confirmed that the bomber distributed an email to among others the news organisation TT and the security police.
In the email, the man expressed dissatisfaction with the presence of Swedish forces in Afghanistan and the fact that the artist Lars Vilks have been allowed to paint pictures of the profet Muhammed. He also warns that further acts of terrorism will follow unless Sweden ceases its “war against Islam” and support for Lars Vilks.
The security police has decided not to raise the terrorism alert level but said that police presence will be increaed in and around central Stockholm.
Photos: MAGNUS HJALMARSON NEIDEMAN and MARC FEMENIA / SCANPIX
damn
It’s terrible to hear news like this, but hopefully it will lead to some long-term good. The Swedish government (and many of the governments in Europe) need to stop pandering to their Muslim minorities.
You must protect the rights of all citizens and all religious minorities. Sweden has done an abysmal job of protecting its Jewish population from Muslim attacks in Malmö. Maybe this will be a wakeup call.
I’m not on the right, not by a long shot, but I believe that you can be both liberal AND defend your values. Sweden as a country stands for tolerance, for acceptance, for coexistence. By not protecting its citizens, by being afraid to stand up to the small minority of Islamic extremists in Sweden, the country does a great disservice to ALL of its citizens.