Police in Sweden say they are treating a stabbing incident in Vetlanda as a "suspected terrorist crime".
Authorities first received reports shortly before 3.00 PM CET that several people had been attacked with an "axe" near Bangårdsgatan. The first police patrols arrived at the town's centre 10 minutes later.
Eight people are confirmed to have been injured in the incident, which took place around 190 kilometres from Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city.
One suspect in his 20s was shot by police at the scene and has been arrested.
"The arrested person is injured but the situation is unclear," police said in a statement, adding that the individual was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Initially, police began investigating the incident as attempted murder but confirmed they are now classifying the attack as a "suspected terrorist crime".
"The police have the situation under control in Vetlanda, the most urgent situation is now over and the police's work is now increasingly focused on the investigation work," the authorities have said.
"There is currently no indication of more perpetrators being suspected in this incident".
Police have added that they are in contact with the eight victims, and there are no indications that anyone has died.
An investigation into police action during the arrest of the suspect has also been launched.
"Due to this investigation, the police will not comment further on the arrest and why the police have opened fire," the statement added.
In 2017, five people were killed when a truck was hijacked and deliberately driven into pedestrians on a busy shopping street in the centre of the capital city, Stockholm.
The attack was described as "the biggest crime ever committed" in the country.
A KNIFEMAN has been shot by cops after stabbing eight people in a suspected terror attack in Sweden today, reports say.
The attacker, aged in his 20s, was gunned down and taken to hospital after he went on a stabbing rampage in Vetlanda, in the south of the country.
A man was shot by cops in Sweden today after stabbing eight people in a suspected terror attackCredit: Carl Carlert
The attacker was taken to hospital after reportedly being shot in the legCredit: Mikael Fritzon
Investigators have told local media that the assault was a "possible terrorist act" although no further details have been provided.
The attacker injured eight people - some seriously - with a bladed weapon, a police spokesperson said.
It is unclear if any of the victims are in a critical condition.
Police said in a news conference that the attacker was known to authorities but refused to confirm the type of blade used in the attack.
According to local media, the knifeman was arrested and taken to hospital after being shot in the leg by cops but his condition is not yet known.
Local police chief Malena Grann said: “We are investigating whether there is any terror motive. We are working closely with security police on this."
There were a number of witnesses to the rampage which police were called to at 3pm, reports say.
Some of the victims were seriously injured, reports sayCredit: Carl Carlert
Parts of central Vetlanda have been cordoned off while police carry out their investigation.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven condemned the "horrific violence".
He said: "Tonight I am thinking of those injured in Vetlanda and their relatives.
"I condemn this horrific violence. We are facing these heinous acts with the collective power of society."
Minister of the Interior Mikael Damberg said it is unclear what the man's motive was.
He said: "Several people are seriously injured. These are terrible events and my thoughts go to the victims and their relatives.
"Right now it is unclear exactly what happened and what the motive was. The police have arrested a suspected perpetrator and have initiated a special incident to handle the development of the incident and create security in Vetlanda."
Eight people have been injured in a suspected terrorist stabbings in Sweden.
Police said a man in his 20s launched the knife attack just before 3pm on Wednesday in Vetlanda, a small town in the country's south.
The attacker was shot in the leg by officers and has been taken to hospital where he is receiving treatment under armed guard.
Eight people were inured in the attack, some of them were said to be 'seriously' wounded and required an ambulance.
The assailant's motive remains unclear but police said they are treating it as a 'suspected terrorist crime.'
The attack took place at around 3pm on Wednesday in the small town of Vetlanda in southern Sweden
The local train station was closed at the request of the police and a large number of officers have been sent to carry out patrols of the town of around 13,000 residents.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven condemned the attack as he sent his condolences to the victims and their families.
'Tonight I am thinking of those injured in Vetlanda and their relatives. I condemn this horrific violence. We are facing these heinous acts with the collective power of society,' the PM wrote.
Minister of the Interior Mikael Damberg called the attack 'terrible.'
The government minister said: 'Several people are seriously injured. These are terrible events and my thoughts go to the victims and their relatives.
'Right now it is unclear exactly what happened and what the motive was. The police have arrested a suspected perpetrator and have initiated a special incident to handle the development of the incident and create security in Vetlanda.'
Myanmar security forces shot and killed at least eight people on Wednesday, according to accounts on social media and local news reports, as authorities extended their lethal crackdown on protests against last month’s coup.
Videos from various locations showed security forces firing slingshots at demonstrators, chasing them down, and even beating an ambulance crew.
A doctor told the AFP news agency one protester was shot in the chest in Mandalay while another, a 19-year-old young woman, was shot in her head.
The Frontier Magazine also reported the killing, saying police first used tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd numbering in the thousands in Mandalay. They opened fire later when the crowd re-grouped at the same place and resumed their sit-in protest, the publication said.
4/ At around 10am, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, but there were no reports of injuries. People gathered at the same place shortly afterwards and resumed their sit-in protest. Several hours later, security forces opened fire with live rounds. pic.twitter.com/JvXAbMgNNO
Myanmar has been in chaos since February 1, when the military seized power in a coup and detained much of the country’s civilian leadership, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military justified the takeover with unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the November 2020 election that returned Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) to power. The power grab has triggered widespread international condemnation as well as nationwide demonstrations demanding a return to civilian rule.
In the town of Monywa, a rescue worker told AFP his team handled the dead bodies of four people and contacted their families. The Monywa Gazette, a local news outlet, put the death toll at five people.
There were also reports of live fire deaths and injuries in the main city of Yangon, where security forces arrested 300 people and “violently beat up” some protesters, according to the Myanmar Now website.
Video posted on social media showed long lines of young men, hands on heads, filing into army trucks as police and soldiers stood guard.
Police and soldiers also blocked off the Hledan Centre junction and fired tear gas at demonstrators in Yangon’s Sachaung area, but the crowds regrouped minutes after dispersing, Myanmar Now reported.
2/ Protesters ran into side streets to take shelter and evade arrest. About 10 minutes later, the police then retreated and protesters gathered back on Baho Road. It wasn’t clear if anyone was arrested. Protesters have now taken up positions again on Baho Road, as seen here. pic.twitter.com/o1q1t0b7Nc
Protests also took place in the central towns of Monywa, Myingyan and Magway. The Monywa Gazette reported five people were wounded when security forces fired live ammunition there.
There was no immediate comment from Myanmar’s military.
‘Unique situation’ at UN
The killings came as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to make a breakthrough in a virtual foreign ministers’ meeting on Myanmar.
While united in a call for restraint, only four members – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore – called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other detainees.
In New York, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun insisted that he remained the country’s legitimate representative after the military authorities sent a letter to the global body saying that the envoy had been dismissed from his post and that his deputy was now in charge.
The dismissal came after Kyaw Moe Tun made an emotional plea to a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday, calling for “the strongest possible action from the international community” to restore democracy to the country.
Anti-coup protesters take cover behind makeshift barricades in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, March 3, 2021 [AP]Protesters holding homemade shields as they run during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 3, 2021 [Stringer/ AFP]UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed on Tuesday that the UN received two “contradictory” letters and is reviewing them to see who is the UN ambassador and whether the assembly’s Credentials Committee will get involved.
“We are in a very unique situation we have not seen in a long time,” Dujarric said. “We are trying to sort through all the legal, protocol and other implications” and are “trying to resolve things as quickly as possible from our end”.
The letter from Kyaw Moe Tun, sent on Monday to General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir with a copy to the secretary-general, said President Win Myint and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi appointed him last year and that they remained lawfully elected to their roles.
“The perpetrators of the unlawful coup against the democratic government of Myanmar have no authority to countermand the legitimate authority of the president of my country,” Kyaw Moe Tun said in the letter.
“I wish therefore to confirm to you that I remain Myanmar’s permanent representative to the United Nations.”
The second letter to the secretary-general originated from Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was received on Tuesday, Dujarric said. It informed the UN that the State Administration Council, the body set up by the generals to run the country following the coup, had “terminated the duties and responsibilities” of ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun on February 27 and would no longer recognise his accreditation to the UN General Assembly.
Dated February 28, the letter said Myanmar’s deputy UN ambassador, Tin Maung Naing, had been assigned as the chargé d’affaires of the UN mission.
Policemen armed with guns, sling-shots and shields advance towards anti-coup protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, on March 3, 2021 [AP]A protester holds a homemade shield during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon [Stringer/AFP]Dujarric said the UN had not received any official notification of any change to Myanmar’s government since the February 1 coup.
The rival claims to represent Myanmar will probably now need to be considered by a nine-member UN Credentials Committee that reports to the General Assembly, which will then make the final decision.
The US supported Kyaw Moe Tun and hailed his “bravery,” with a Department of State spokesman saying “we understand that the permanent representative remains in his position”.
“We will continue to oppose the military coup and we will continue to support the restoration of Burma’s democratically elected civilian government,” the US spokesman said.
US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also held a virtual meeting with Kyaw Moe Tun on Tuesday to express her support.
Explosion in northern town, which caused damage but no injuries, comes after riots over lockdown measures.
A coronavirus testing centre in the Netherlands was intentionally targeted, Dutch police said, after an explosion at the site.
The blast on Wednesday in Bovenkarspel, a northern town, shattered windows but caused no injuries, police from the province of North Holland said in a statement.
An explosives team was on site to examine the device, police in North Holland province said.
The metal remains of the explosive were found in front of the building; the device “must have been placed” there, police spokesman Menno Hartenberg told Reuters news agency.
“Something like that doesn’t just happen by accident, it has to be laid,” he said, adding the device was about 10cm by 10cm (four inches by four inches).
There was one security guard inside the building when the explosion took place, but that person was unharmed.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge described the incident as an “insane” act.
“For more than a year we have been leaning on these people on the front lines and now this,” he tweeted.
Officers cordoned off the area as they carried out investigations.
Wednesday morning test appointments in Bovenkarspel were cancelled, according to public broadcaster NOS.
The region around Bovenkarspel is currently suffering one of the Netherlands’ worst COVID-19 outbreaks, with 181 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with around 27 per 100,000 nationally.
At least one hospital has been forced to send patients to other provinces because intensive care units are overwhelmed.
“In this area, the infections are going up, there is a real serious outbreak and the hospitals here are struggling,” Al Jazeera’s Vaessen said.
“And also generally in the Netherlands infections are on the rise.”
Recent riots
The blast follows the worst unrest the Netherlands has witnessed in decades, with many angered by strict restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, the government introduced a night-time curfew, the first to be implemented in the Netherlands since World War II.
The measure went into effect on January 23 and led to several days of rioting.
The protests gripped several cities and saw rioters torch a COVID testing centre in Urk, a northern village.
Police clamped down and hundreds of rioters were arrested. Many have already been sentenced by Dutch courts.
Security has been stepped up at some coronavirus test locations because of threats and vandalism.
The blast follows the worst unrest the Netherlands has witnessed in decades, with many angered by strict restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic [File: Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP]The curfew is in effect from 9pm to 4:30am daily, and is due to expire on March 15 – two days before general elections.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government won a court case last week over its use of emergency powers to install the measure.
The curfew was part of a strict lockdown in which bars, restaurants and non-essential shops have been closed for months.
Some measures were eased on Wednesday, with hairdressers reopening and non-essential shops allowed to accept a small number of visitors by appointment.
More than 15,700 people have died of coronavirus in the Netherlands, which has recorded more than 1.1 million cases.
A coronavirus testing centre close to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam appears to have been intentionally targeted after an explosion before the site opened, police have said.
The blast in the town of Bovenkarspel, north of the capital, happened at 6.55am and caused no injuries.
The explosive "must have been placed" there, a police spokesman said.
Windows were shattered in the blast and the metal remains of the explosive were found at the front of the building.
A security guard reported the explosion to police and was not injured.
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Police spokesman Menno Hartenberg said: "We don't know yet exactly what exploded, the explosives experts must first investigate.
"What we're saying is that something like that doesn't just happen by accident, it has to be laid."
More from Covid-19
In a statement, Dutch police said the security guard had "heard a loud bang and then saw that several windows of the building had broken".
"Outside the building was a metal cylinder that had exploded. No one was injured in the incident."
The region around Bovenkarspel, a rural town 35 miles (56km) north of Amsterdam, is currently suffering one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the Netherlands.
It has 181 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with around 27 per 100,000 nationally.
At least one hospital has been forced to send patients to other provinces due to lack of space in its intensive care units.
The incident also comes shortly before national elections on 17 March, which are widely seen as a referendum on the government's handling of the pandemic.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative VVD Party is likely to remain the largest, according to opinion polls.
Image:Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Wednesday marks the first day in several months in which lockdown measures in the Netherlands have been eased.
Non-essential stores are allowed to accept a small number of visitors by appointment and hairdressers can start welcoming customers.
However, a curfew from 9pm to 4.30am remains in place.
Anger against healthcare authorities has increased since the start of 2021 and the head of the country's National Institute for Health is now accompanied by a security detail to public appearances.
Security forces have opened fire on anti-coup protesters in several cities and towns in Myanmar, killing at least six people and wounding several more, according to news agencies and local media.
Two people were killed in the second biggest city of Mandalay on Wednesday while at least four others were killed in the town of Monywa in the central Sagaing region, witnesses said.
A doctor told the AFP news agency one protester was shot in the chest in Mandalay while another, a 19-year-old young woman, was shot in her head.
The Frontier Magazine also reported the killing, saying police first used tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd numbering in the thousands in Mandalay. They opened fire later when the crowd re-grouped at the same place and resumed their sit-in protest, the publication said.
4/ At around 10am, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, but there were no reports of injuries. People gathered at the same place shortly afterwards and resumed their sit-in protest. Several hours later, security forces opened fire with live rounds. pic.twitter.com/JvXAbMgNNO
Myanmar has been in chaos since February 1, when the military seized power in a coup and detained much of the country’s civilian leadership, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military justified the takeover with unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the November 2020 election that returned Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) to power. The power grab has triggered widespread international condemnation as well as nationwide demonstrations demanding a return to civilian rule.
In the town of Monywa, a rescue worker told AFP his team handled the dead bodies of four people and contacted their families. The Monywa Gazette, a local news outlet, put the death toll at five people.
There were also reports of live fire and injuries in the main city of Yangon, where security forces arrested 300 people and “violently beat up” some protesters, according to the Myanmar Now website.
Video posted on social media showed long lines of young men, hands on heads, filing into army trucks as police and soldiers stood guard.
Police and soldiers also blocked off the Hledan Centre junction and fired tear gas at demonstrators in Yangon’s Sachaung area, but the crowds regrouped minutes after dispersing, Myanmar Now reported.
2/ Protesters ran into side streets to take shelter and evade arrest. About 10 minutes later, the police then retreated and protesters gathered back on Baho Road. It wasn’t clear if anyone was arrested. Protesters have now taken up positions again on Baho Road, as seen here. pic.twitter.com/o1q1t0b7Nc
Protests also took place in the central towns of Monywa, Myingyan and Magway. The Monywa Gazette reported five people were wounded when security forces fired live ammunition there.
There was no immediate comment from Myanmar’s military.
‘Unique situation’ at UN
The killings came as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to make a breakthrough in a virtual foreign ministers’ meeting on Myanmar.
While united in a call for restraint, only four members – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore – called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other detainees.
In New York, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun insisted that he remained the country’s legitimate representative after the military authorities sent a letter to the global body saying that the envoy had been dismissed from his post and that his deputy was now in charge.
The dismissal came after Kyaw Moe Tun made an emotional plea to a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday, calling for “the strongest possible action from the international community” to restore democracy to the country.
Anti-coup protesters take cover behind makeshift barricades in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, March 3, 2021 [AP]Protesters holding homemade shields as they run during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 3, 2021 [Stringer/ AFP]UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed on Tuesday that the UN received two “contradictory” letters and is reviewing them to see who is the UN ambassador and whether the assembly’s Credentials Committee will get involved.
“We are in a very unique situation we have not seen in a long time,” Dujarric said. “We are trying to sort through all the legal, protocol and other implications” and are “trying to resolve things as quickly as possible from our end”.
The letter from Kyaw Moe Tun, sent on Monday to General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir with a copy to the secretary-general, said President Win Myint and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi appointed him last year and that they remained lawfully elected to their roles.
“The perpetrators of the unlawful coup against the democratic government of Myanmar have no authority to countermand the legitimate authority of the president of my country,” Kyaw Moe Tun said in the letter.
“I wish therefore to confirm to you that I remain Myanmar’s permanent representative to the United Nations.”
The second letter to the secretary-general originated from Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was received on Tuesday, Dujarric said. It informed the UN that the State Administration Council, the body set up by the generals to run the country following the coup, had “terminated the duties and responsibilities” of ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun on February 27 and would no longer recognise his accreditation to the UN General Assembly.
Dated February 28, the letter said Myanmar’s deputy UN ambassador, Tin Maung Naing, had been assigned as the chargé d’affaires of the UN mission.
Policemen armed with guns, sling-shots and shields advance towards anti-coup protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, on March 3, 2021 [AP]A protester holds a homemade shield during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon [Stringer/AFP]Dujarric said the UN had not received any official notification of any change to Myanmar’s government since the February 1 coup.
The rival claims to represent Myanmar will probably now need to be considered by a nine-member UN Credentials Committee that reports to the General Assembly, which will then make the final decision.
The US supported Kyaw Moe Tun and hailed his “bravery,” with a Department of State spokesman saying “we understand that the permanent representative remains in his position”.
“We will continue to oppose the military coup and we will continue to support the restoration of Burma’s democratically elected civilian government,” the US spokesman said.
US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also held a virtual meeting with Kyaw Moe Tun on Tuesday to express her support.
Anti-coup protesters take cover behind makeshift barricades in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, March 3, 2021 [AP]
Protesters holding homemade shields as they run during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 3, 2021 [Stringer/ AFP]
Policemen armed with guns, sling-shots and shields advance towards anti-coup protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar, Wednesday, on March 3, 2021 [AP]
A protester holds a homemade shield during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon [Stringer/AFP]
The blast follows the worst unrest the Netherlands has witnessed in decades, with many angered by strict restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic [File: Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP]