Dutch police are investigating an explosion that damaged an office building in Amsterdam, an incident claimed by an extremist organisation. The same group previously took responsibility for a blast at a Jewish school in the area, prompting officers to examine potential links between the two events.
The explosion resulted in a small fire, which was swiftly extinguished by security guards, according to a police spokesperson. It remains unclear whether the damaged building has any connection to Amsterdam's Jewish community. Sienna Investment Managers, responsible for the property, has not yet commented on the incident.
The group has also claimed earlier attacks on synagogues in Rotterdam and in neighbouring Belgium's Liège. The attacks had already triggered heightened security at Jewish sites in Amsterdam. Justice Minister David van Weel said on Saturday that a link between the explosions in Amsterdam and Rotterdam could not be excluded, but did not confirm any claims made on social media by the group.
In a separate case on Sunday, two young men were placed under formal investigation in France for planning a “deadly and antisemitic” attack, the counterterrorism prosecutor’s office said. The suspects, a 22-year-old engineering student and an unemployed 20-year-old who are brothers, were arrested last Tuesday after police found a semi-automatic firearm, a bottle of acid and an Isis flag in their car during a roadside stop near a prison in northern France.
Concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world have risen following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and a subsequent response from Tehran.
