Danish police arrested three people on Wednesday in connection with the double explosion near the Israeli embassy in Denmark and their Swedish counterpart is investigating shootings that targeted the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on Tuesday, against a backdrop of extreme tensions in Middle East.
These two incidents occur the day after a major attack by Iran on Israeli territory, with Israel promising that Tehran “(would) pay the price”.
Explosions, the scale of which was not specified, occurred during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in the “immediate vicinity” of the Israeli embassy in Denmark, said the police investigating the incident.
Embassy security personnel heard the blasts around 3:20 a.m. local time.
By mid-morning, the neighborhood was cordoned off and the police were busy under the autumn sun, noted an AFP journalist.
Security measures for the Jewish community
No trace of an explosion was visible from outside the security perimeter.
The Danish intelligence service, PET, said it was monitoring the situation “closely” and helping the police in their investigation.
“We are in dialogue with the Israeli Embassy regarding security and are constantly evaluating the extent of security measures already implemented in a number of Jewish community locations,” they wrote in an email to the AFP.
It is still too early to say whether there is a link between the explosions and the embassy, said Jakob Hansen, police spokesperson during a press briefing.
Israel’s ambassador to Denmark, David Akov, said he was “shocked by the appalling incident that occurred near the embassy a few hours ago” in a message on X.
The venue is located in the affluent suburb of Hellerup, north of Copenhagen, in an area which has many foreign representations such as Italy, Romania, Thailand but also Iran and Turkey.
In neighboring Sweden, the diplomatic mission was also targeted: gunshots, which did not cause any injuries, were heard on Tuesday around 6:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. GMT) in a street near the embassy.
“We have made findings that indicate shootings at the Israeli embassy, but we do not want to disclose exactly what findings were made because the investigation is ongoing,” Rebecca Landberg, Stockholm police press officer.
Increase in anti-Semitic acts
Impacts were observed on the building, police said in a press release. An investigation was opened for aggravated violation of weapons legislation, endangering others and illegal threats.
Several incidents have occurred near the Israeli embassy in Sweden since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
In February, a grenade was found in the embassy compound, which the Israeli ambassador called an attempted attack.
In May, shooting was observed outside the building, leading to increased security measures around Israeli interests in Sweden.
Swedish intelligence services claimed in late May that Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out “acts of violence” against Israel, which Tehran denied.
Authorities have also recorded an increase in anti-Semitic acts in Sweden since the start of the Gaza war.