List of grenade attacks in Sweden

Bombings increased significantly in 2015, with Swedish police investigating around 100-150 explosions.^[1][2][3] There were over 30 grenade attacks reported in the Swedish city of Malmö alone by August 2015,^[4] up from a total of 25 in all of 2014.^[5] Malmö police have consequently warned about undetonated grenades in the city.^[6][7] According to Swedish police, the use of hand grenades in crime is unprecedented in all comparable European and non-European countries, and the only countries with similar characteristics are those with warlike conditions.^[2] Many attacks are related to organised crime and extortion of restaurants and businesses.^[8]

In Malmö, the grenades are frequently old weapons from the wars in the Balkans. The police assume that someone imported a large share of grenades, which has then been distributed to criminal gangs. ^[9] The grenades themselves have a black market price of about 20 kronor, meaning that they are cheaper than an ice cream cone.^[10] In addition to grenade attacks, there are a significant number of related bomb attacks with unidentified devices, including homemade bombs.^[11][12] The number of incidents involving explosives tripled between 2008 and 2016.^[13]

List of noted attacks

1991-2012

• Between 1991 and 1998, there were at least a dozen explosion attacks or attempts.^[14]
• Between 2008 and 2011, there were 22 noted explosive attacks or attempts: 12 in 2011, 7 in 2010, 2 in 2009, and 1 in 2008. Two of these (one in 2011, one in 2008), were reported to be as a result of hand grenades.^[15]

2013

• 9 June, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded in a garbage shed on Ramels väg, damaging several cars.^[11]
• 14 September, Malmö, two people were hospitalised after a hand grenade exploded at Köpmansgatan.^[11]
• 9 November, Malmö, a device exploded in the stairwell of an assembly building in Norra Grängesbergsgatan.^[16]

2014

• 26 January, Malmö, a hand grenade was thrown into the window of a family's home in Seved. Thought to have been thrown by the assailants into a mistaken apartment, the family of three were said by police to have likely survived only because the father managed to close the bedroom door in time.^[11]
• 3 February, Malmö, a device exploded outside the Malmö District Court building, blasting out several windows.^[12]
• 15 April, Malmö, a grenade exploded outside a restaurant in Adelgatan.^[11]
• 6 May, Malmö, one man was severely injured after a grenade was thrown into his apartment on Estlandsgatan. The grenade was thought by police to have been thrown into a mistaken apartment by the assailants.^[11]
• 19 May, Malmö, a grenade exploded in Seved damaging eight cars and several buildings.^[11]
• 23 May, Malmö, a device exploded near Möllevångstorget.^[12]
• 27 October, Malmö, a bomb attack on the nightclub ship Prins Bernard.^[12]
• 13 November, Malmö, a device exploded outside a restaurant on Baltzargatan blasting the entrance.^[12]
• 20 November, Malmö, a device exploded outside a residential villa with a family inside in Rönnbackegatan.^[12]
• 29 November, Malmö, the Malmö District Court building received damage to the entrance in a major bomb attack which shattered windows in the nearby buildings.^[17]
• 20 December, Malmö, the entrance of the Victoria Park real estate office was blasted in an explosion.^[12]
• 24 December, Malmö, Victoria Park real estate offices were bombed for the third time, creating a hole in the wall and blasting out nearby windows.^[12]

2015

• 22 January, Malmö, a device exploded outside a residential building, damaging the exterior and shattering several windows.^[12]
• 2 February, Malmö, windows of the Modern Museum were blasted out and two cars were damaged after an explosion in central Malmö.^[12]
• 7 February, Sollentuna, a grenade exploded in the stairwell of an apartment block in Edsberg.^[18]
• 27 March, Malmö, a device exploded outside a residential villa in Arlöv.^[12]
• 10 April, Helsingborg, a device exploded after being thrown into an apartment balcony.^[19]
• 23 April, Malmö, a restaurant was damaged after a hand grenade exploded in Adelgatan.^[20]
• 30 April, Malmö, a device exploded outside a residential villa with three people inside in Husie.^[12]
• 21 May, Uppsala, two hand grenades exploded after being thrown into the nightclub Birger Jarl.^[21][22]
• 4 June, Malmö, a device exploded damaging a local store and several cars in Kroksbäck.^[12]
• 12 June, Malmö, two passers-by were injured when a grenade exploded in Rasmusgatan in Seved.^[23][24]
• 12 June, Gothenburg, four people including a 4-year-old girl were killed in a car bombing in Torslanda.^[3][25]

Main article: 2015 Gothenburg car bombing

• 16 June, Malmö, an explosion occurred in Almgården near Rosengård.^[24]
• 20 June, Malmö, two live grenades were thrown at an apartment building in Kroksbäck, but failed to detonate. 60 people were evacuated.^[24][26]
• 13 July, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded outside a family residence in Augustenborg.^[23][24]
• 15 July, Malmö, a grenade exploded near a residence in Arlöv.^[23]
• 17 July, Malmö, three cars were damaged after an explosion in Branteviksgatan.^[12]
• 21 July, Malmö, one man was injured after a grenade exploded outside a community hall on Norra Grängesbergsgatan.^[23][24]
• 23 July, Malmö, a grenade exploded under a car in Limhamn, damaging nearby cars and buildings.^[23]
• 24 July, Malmö, a grenade exploded at a social office and damaged nearby cars.^[23][27]
• 26 July, Malmö, a grenade exploded at a parking lot in Värnhem, damaging ten cars and shattering several house windows.^[23][28][29]
• 5 August, Trelleborg, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown into a social office.^[23][30]
• 9 August, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded in a residential area in Möllevången, with thirty windows shattered in the blast.^[23][31]
• 20 August, Botkyrka, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown at a police van with four police officers inside in Tumba.^[3][32]
• 11 September, Borås, a hand grenade exploded in a residential area in Hässleholmen, shattering several windows.^[33]
• 13 October, Gothenburg, a grenade exploded in Biskopsgården damaging six apartments.^[3][34][35]
• 11 November, Landskrona, the exterior of a house and several cars were damaged in a hand grenade attack.^[36]
• 16 November, Malmö, a device exploded in an apartment building in Lindängen.^[12]
• 2 December, Uppsala, a hand grenade exploded in the nightclub Birger Jarl.^[21][22]
• 27 December, Helsingborg, a nightclub in Bruksgatan received extensive damages in a bombing.^[3]

2016

• 27 January, Landskrona, several cars were damaged and windows shattered after a hand grenade exploded in Tränggatan.^[37][38]
• 12 February, Gothenburg, two grenades exploded within nine minutes in apartments in two different locations (Lunden and Angered).^[39]
• 28 February, Malmö, an explosion on a balcony blasted out all windows of a Rosengård apartment.^[40]
• 2 March, Nyköping, two people were killed after a bomb they attempted to make exploded in an apartment in Brandkärr.^[3]
• 17 March, Malmö, an explosion destroyed a sports store and damaged the facade of the building.^[12][41]
• 22 March, Uppsala, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown into an apartment balcony.^[21]
• 27 March, Åmål, a device exploded after being thrown into an apartment with two people inside.^[3]
• 28 March, Stockholm, two hand grenades exploded in central Stockholm, damaging the entrances and exterior of a nightclub and restaurants.^[42]
• 6 April, Stockholm, a grenade exploded after being thrown into a restaurant in Jakobsberg.^[43]
• 11 April, Uppsala, one man was hospitalised after a grenade he held exploded at a parking lot in Stenhagen.^[21]
• 17 April, Landskrona, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown into an apartment, possibly against a casual target.^[3][37]
• 18 May, Malmö, a hand grenade caused extensive damages after being thrown at a villa in Fosie, likely against a casual target.^{[3][37][44][45]}
• 7 June, Botkyrka, a hand grenade exploded in central Fittja.^[46]
• 7 June, Botkyrka, one man was wounded by shrapnel after a grenade exploded outside an office building in Slagsta.^[47]
• 23 June, Tomelilla, a hand grenade exploded outside a villa.^[37]
• 24 June, Uppsala, a hand grenade exploded in a pizza restaurant.^[21]
• 9 July, Sollentuna, a grenade exploded while automatic weapons were fired in a residential area, amid four local shootouts in two days.^[1][48][49]
• 12 July, Botkyrka, a grenade exploded after being thrown under a parked car in Tumba.^[50]
• 28 July, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded in an apartment after several assailants had kicked in the door.^[37]
• 22 August, Gothenburg, a hand grenade exploded in an apartment in Biskopsgården, killing an 8-year-old child Yuusuf Warsame from Birmingham, England. The attack was connected to an ongoing feud between members of Gothenburg’s Somali community,^[51][52] as a person who was sentenced for the 2015 Gothenburg pub shooting is registered at the address.^[53]
• 4 September, Gothenburg, one or two grenades exploded on the apartment balcony of an elderly disabled man, creating a hole and blasting out several windows. The grenade was thought by police to have been thrown indiscriminately at the apartment in a gang-area.^[54][55]
• 14 September, Gothenburg, a bomb exploded at a school in Järntorget.^[56]
• 14 September, Malmö, a car was bombed in central Malmö.^[57]
• 15 September, Malmö, the garage of a family home was blasted in an explosion in central Malmö.^[58]
• 10 October, Malmö, a nightclub was blasted in an explosion.^[59]
• 23 October, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded nearby a garage and a car in Husie.^[60]
• 28 October, Landskrona, a hand grenade exploded in a pizza restaurant.^[61]
• 29 October, Landskrona, a pizza restaurant was blasted in an explosion, the second in the town in two nights.^[62]
• 4 November, Malmö, the ground floor of the office building "Sigmahuset" was subjected to a bomb attack by an unidentified explosive device. Since the building has a glass facade, damage was extensive.^[63] The ground floor houses a restaurant in the daytime and a nightclub during weekends and is situated next to a residential area.
• 11 November, Gothenburg, an explosive device was placed outside the office of a syndicalist movement. The device was detonated by police in a controlled explosion.^[64]
• 11 November, Malmö, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown at a car rental company, situated adjacent to a gas station.^[65]
• 21 November, Ängelholm, a grenade exploded near an apartment block, blasting out several windows.^[66]
• 30 November, Solna, a hand grenade exploded after being thrown into an apartment balcony where a person was standing in the kitchen. The person got out of the apartment unharmed, while the balcony was wrecked and several windows were shattered. The event is linked to gang crime.^[67]
• 6 December, Jönköping, a car was bombed by what was deemed by police to have been a powerful explosive device.^[68]
• 15 December, Gothenburg, a hand grenade exploded causing damage to two apartments in Biskopsgården.^[69]

2017

• 1 January, Katrineholm, a grenade was thrown at the local police station. The entrance, several windows and three cars parked nearby were damaged.^[70]
• 24 January, Uppsala, a car was wrecked in an explosion in Gottsunda that was likely caused by a hand grenade.^[71]
• 13 February, Södertälje, a hand grenade exploded in a residential area, where an entrepreneur who had recently been extorted had his offices.^[72]
• 28 February, Malmö, one person was wounded by shrapnel and hospitalised after a grenade exploded outside a residence in Lindängen.^[73]
• 11 April, Linköping, a hand grenade was thrown onto a balcony.^[74]

Responses

Along with a number of shootings, the summer of 2015 was dubbed "the summer of unrest" by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, who during a speech said the attacks would "not be tolerated".^[75] Some hundred new police officers were set to be appointed in Malmö in the following months, after concerns were raised by the regional police union.^[76] Police began work the same summer of attempting to thwart "mass hysteria" among terrified Malmö residents.^[77]

In 2017 the Swedish government has proposed harsher punishments for possession of grenades.^[78]

See also

• 2003 & 2005 Malmö mosque arson attacks
• 2010 & 2012 Malmö synagogue arson attacks
• Arson attacks on asylum centres in Sweden
• 2014 mosque arson attacks in Sweden

References

External links

• Map of bombing incidents in Malmö in 2013 (Sydsvenskan)
• Interactive map of bombings in Malmö since 2014 (Sydsvenskan and HD),
• Map of mid-2015 grenade attacks in Malmö (Aftonbladet)
• Map of grenade attacks in Uppsala since 2015 (unt.se)