‘Deaths and many injured’ in Stockholm truck attack

A truck crashed into a crowd of people outside the Ahlens department store in Stockholm on the 7 April 2017. Reports suggested that four people had been killed and fifteen injured. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven described the incident as a 'terror attack'.

The authorities confirmed on the 9 April 2017 that the nationalities of the four killed in the attack were two Swedes, a Belgian and a British man. They also confirmed that they had arrested the suspected driver of the lorry at the time of the attack - a 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan. He was an asylum seeker facing deportation, who had expressed sympathy for the Islamic State. Swedish media named the suspect as Rakhmat Akilov. Authorities arrested a second man in connection with the truck attack on the 23 April 2017.

There were reports on the 24 April 2017 that Sweden's red-green government was have discussions with some other political parties to agree on proposals to tighten laws against terrorism.

The use of lorries in incidents of a terrorist nature in Europe was becoming more common:

+ Nice, July 2016
+ Berlin, December 2016
+ London, March 2017

• Primary Source

Politico, 07.04.17: Truck rams pedestrians in Stockholm terror attack http://www.politico.eu/article/truck-rams-into-people-on-stockholm-pedestrian-street-police/

European Commission: DG Communication: RAPID: STATEMENT/17/918: Statement by President Juncker following the attacks in Stockholm http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-17-918_en.htm

EUObserver, 07.04.17: Suspected terror attack grips Stockholm https://euobserver.com/justice/137546

Sweden: Government: Press Release, 07.04.17: Statement by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven http://www.government.se/statements/2017/04/statement-by-prime-minister-stefan-lofven/

Sweden: Government: Press Release, 08.04.17: Statement by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on Drottninggatan, Stockholm, 8 April (+ links to statements made on the 7 April 2017) http://www.government.se/statements/2017/04/statement-by-prime-minister-stefan-lofven-on-drottninggatan-stockholm-8-april/

Council of Europe: News, 07.04.17: Stockholm attack http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/stockholm-attack

Politico, 09.04.17: Suspected Stockholm attacker was rejected for asylum http://www.politico.eu/article/suspected-stockholm-attacker-was-rejected-for-asylum/

Deutsche Welle, 09.04.17: 'Lovefest' vigil in Stockholm after deadly attack http://p.dw.com/p/2axJF

The Local.se, 08.04.17: How the truck attack brought the best out of Stockholm https://www.thelocal.se/20170408/how-stockholmers-responded-to-the-truck-attack

The Local.se: Tag: Stockholm attack April 2017 https://www.thelocal.se/tag/stockholm+attack

EurActiv, 10.04.17: Uzbek arrested for Stockholm attack http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/uzbek-arrested-for-stockholm-attack-amid-international-sympathy/

Euro|Topics: Debates, April 2017: Must Sweden rethink its policy of openness? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/177449/must-sweden-rethink-its-policy-of-openness

Deutsche Welle, 11.04.17: Stockholm terror suspect confesses to truck attack http://p.dw.com/p/2b1P1

Deutsche Welle, 24.04.17: Swedish police arrest second suspect over truck attack http://p.dw.com/p/2bouZ

The Local.se, 24.04.17: Swedish terror agreement could be reached before summer https://www.thelocal.se/20170424/swedish-terror-agreement-could-be-reached-before-summer

The Local.se, 22.04.17: Police were poorly equipped for Stockholm attack, officers say https://www.thelocal.se/20170422/police-lacked-resources-to-handle-stockholm-attack-officers-say

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