Per Nyberg
CNN
A failed terrorist attack in a central Stockholm district full of Christmas shoppers could have been catastrophic, Swedish authorities said late Saturday.
Police are investigating whether two explosions in Stockholm, an e-mail threat sent shortly before the attack that mentions Afghanistan and the body of a man who was apparently killed in one of the explosions are related.
“Most worrying attempt at terrorist attack in crowded part of central Stockholm. Failed — but could have been truly catastrophic,” Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said in a Twitter message on Saturday.
A Swedish news agency and police said they received e-mail threats against the Swedish people 10 minutes before the explosions, which killed one person and injured two others on Saturday.
“We have not taken any decision to increase the terror threat level,” said Swedish Security Police spokesman Mikael Gunnarsson. “And apart from the e-mail we didn’t have any other indications or threats that this would happen,” Gunnarsson added.
The writer of the e-mail mentions the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan and a Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Mohammed, according to TT, a Swedish news wire.
The e-mails contained sound files featuring a person speaking in Swedish and Arabic, TT reported.
The sender referred to Swedish silence regarding the Afghanistan troops and the controversial cartoon by Lars Vilks that depicted Mohammed as having the body of a dog.
“Now your children, daughters and sisters will die like our brothers and sisters and children are dying,” the e-mail states, according to TT.
“Our actions will speak for themselves,” the person said in an audio recording attached to the email. “As long as you don’t end your war against Islam and the humiliation against the prophet and with your stupid support to Lars Vilks the pig.”
Swedish terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp told CNN that he did not believe the attacker acted alone.
Be the first to comment on "Explosions in Stockholm believed to be failed terrorist attack"