Two explosions heard near Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen

Police in Copenhagen said two predawn explosions took place on Wednesday near the city’s Israeli Embassy, prompting a nearby Jewish school to close for the day.

Police said no one had been injured and that they are still trying to establish whether there was a link between the blasts at around 3:20 am and the Israeli diplomatic mission. There are several other embassies in the area.

Heavily armed officers, search dogs and forensic teams were seen inspecting the cordoned-off area. The police have declined to say whether anyone has been arrested.

Copenhagen’s Jewish school, Carolineskolen, is just down the street from the embassy, and was already due to remain closed on Thursday and Friday for the Jewish New Year holidays.

Extra security will now be established around Copenhagen’s main synagogue, Jewish community leaders said in a statement. Community chairman Henrik Goldstein wrote that he “would like to encourage people to be aware when moving in public spaces”.

“Be critical of what you hear on social media and rumours,” he wrote. “There is no reason to refrain from participating in Jewish life.”

Police refused to give details about the blasts’ intensity or any damage they may have caused, but Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told broadcaster TV2 that the incident was “inherently serious” — though he cautioned it was too early to speculate over potential motives.

On Tuesday night, the area around the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm was also closed off after a loud bang. Police later announced that findings from the scene indicated that the embassy was hit by bullets. No one has yet been arrested.

“We’ve made finds that indicate a shooting at Israel’s embassy, but we don’t want to disclose exactly what finds have been made since there is an ongoing investigation,” the Stockholm police told the AFP press agency.