‘Insurgent links’ of four held in Sweden

Four men arrested in Sweden at the weekend on suspicion of terrorism offences were identified in court documents yesterday as local residents in their 20s originally from Somalia and Iraq.

Police detained the men – three of whom are Swedish citizens – in a sting in the west coast city of Gothenburg.

A prosecutor said yesterday they were being interrogated on suspicions of preparing a terrorist act.

About 400 people were evacuated from an arts centre in connection with the sting, but police have not said if it was a target.

Swedish authorities did not release the suspects’ names, but court documents show they are aged 23 to 26 and live in the Gothenburg area. Three are of Somali origin; one was born in Iraq. One is a Somali citizen and the rest are Swedish nationals.

Swedish tabloid Expressen, citing unnamed police sources, said investigators suspect the men of having connections to al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group in Somalia, and that they had acquired, or were trying to acquire, firearms, explosives and hand grenades.

Last December, Sweden was shocked when suicide bomber Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly blew himself up in Stockholm, injuring two people.