In recent times, the bombings have been occurring every day in Sweden and despite major efforts, there is no noticeable improvement, which both politicians and authorities are eager to claim in various statements.
Since New Year’s Day, there have been a total of 30 bombings in Sweden – many targeting apartment buildings in Stockholm. Most recently, a bomb detonated in Bagarmossen in southern Stockholm in the early hours of Tuesday. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.
READ ALSO: Number of Shootings and Bombings Remains High
Last Thursday evening, a bomb exploded in Farsta in southern Stockholm, injuring two people. The blast was so powerful that it caused damage across five floors of the apartment building.
The escalation since Christmas Day is said to be linked, among other things, to the bloody conflict between gang leaders Rawa “Kurdish Fox” Majid and Ismail “Strawberry” Abdo.
Only War-Torn Countries Have More Explosions
To compare Sweden, researchers have to look outside the Nordic region, outside Europe, and all the way to Mexico to find a country not at war where shootings and bombings occur more frequently than here. “Sweden stands out completely,” stated criminologist Ardavan Khoshnood in 2023.
According to the criminologist, only countries at war have more explosions than Sweden.
“When my colleagues in Stockholm looked at this, they found that Mexico is the only country in the world not at war that has more explosions than Sweden. Not even the USA has issues with explosions,” Khoshnood told TT.
Strömmer: “The Situation is Serious”
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) recently commented on the violent escalation that has occurred since New Year’s Day. According to the prominent member of the Moderate Party, the Swedish people should not become accustomed to this development.
Strömmer has held meetings with the Police Authority to obtain a situational overview with reports on the measures taken. This includes population surveillance.
Furthermore, the police have mobilized significant resources “to break the spiral.” This is the minister’s choice of words to describe the widespread gang violence in Sweden.
“The situation is serious,” the Minister of Justice also stated on state television.
Many Bombings in 2024
The police have recently released their statistics on armed gang violence for 2024. On average, four individuals were fatally shot each month, and more than one person was injured by gunfire every week. The total number of shootings in gang conflicts can still be counted in the hundreds.
In 2024, 44 individuals were fatally shot in gang conflicts, averaging nearly four individuals each month. Additionally, 57 individuals were injured by gunfire in the same environments, meaning slightly over one person per week. The total number of confirmed shootings was 270, indicating that there were shootings on more than two out of three days during the year.
Furthermore, the number of bombings remains high, with a total of 129 recorded incidents last year. There were 60 attempted bombings, meaning more than one crime per week, while the preparations amounted to 128 incidents.
