Why Sweden's terror threat level remains unchanged despite Brussels attack
Sweden's intelligence agency said it was keeping its terror alert level unchanged despite the killing of two Swedes in Brussels.
On August 17th, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) raised it to four on a scale of five, saying Sweden had become a "prioritised target", after a series of Quran burnings in the country and a disinformation campaign alleging the social services kidnap Muslim children.
"This assessment still stands," the agency said.
EXPLAINED:
Two Swedish football fans were killed in a shooting in Brussels on Monday evening, and a third person was injured in what Belgium's prime minister condemned as an act of "terrorist madness".
The suspect was later shot by police and died.
Sweden has been at the centre of a bitter row this year with Muslim countries after multiple burnings of Islam's holy book.
Säpo said the "threat of attacks, particularly from violent Islamist extremism, has increased".
"This is a serious situation and the Swedish Security Service's assessment is that it will continue for a long time," it added.
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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson drew parallels to Sweden's recent wave of "terror-like" gang violence, saying that this, coupled with the "despicable" Brussels attack, justified Säpo's decision to raise the terror threat from a three to a four this summer.
"Now we know with chilling clarity that there were valid reasons for the concerns that they, and we, expressed at that time," he said.
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On August 17th, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) raised it to four on a scale of five, saying Sweden had become a "prioritised target", after a series of Quran burnings in the country and a disinformation campaign alleging the social services kidnap Muslim children.
"This assessment still stands," the agency said.
EXPLAINED:
Two Swedish football fans were killed in a shooting in Brussels on Monday evening, and a third person was injured in what Belgium's prime minister condemned as an act of "terrorist madness".
The suspect was later shot by police and died.
Sweden has been at the centre of a bitter row this year with Muslim countries after multiple burnings of Islam's holy book.
Säpo said the "threat of attacks, particularly from violent Islamist extremism, has increased".
"This is a serious situation and the Swedish Security Service's assessment is that it will continue for a long time," it added.
READ ALSO:
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson drew parallels to Sweden's recent wave of "terror-like" gang violence, saying that this, coupled with the "despicable" Brussels attack, justified Säpo's decision to raise the terror threat from a three to a four this summer.
"Now we know with chilling clarity that there were valid reasons for the concerns that they, and we, expressed at that time," he said.
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