Danish police detain 3 people after blasts near Israel embassy

Danish police said on Wednesday they were investigating two explosions likely caused by hand grenades near Israel’s Copenhagen embassy and had detained three young Swedes for questioning.

Two of the men were apprehended on a train at Copenhagen’s main railway station while the third man was detained elsewhere in the Danish capital shortly after the blasts, Copenhagen Police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen told reporters.

Two hand grenades were likely to have caused the explosions which had caused some damage to a building around 100 metres (328 feet) from the embassy, he added.

“We can’t say for sure if the embassy has been or not been the target of these explosions … We are also investigating if they have acted alone, on request or together with others,” Jespersen said.

He declined to say how the three, aged between 15 and 20 years old, were linked to the incident but said police expected to file preliminary charges against two of them for illegal weapons possession.

This year at least 10 Swedes have been charged in Denmark with attempted murder or weapons possession, stirring alarm and harsh criticism in Denmark over the spread of organised crime.