Swedish authorities are probing an “unusual incident” after gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night.
According to the local TV4 Nyheterna outlet, a “large police operation” was underway outside the embassy in the Swedish capital’s upscale Östermalm district after a loud bang was reported in the area.
“All employees are safe, and none of them were injured,” the Foreign Ministry in Yerushalayim said in a statement acknowledging the incident.
A firearm and an empty shell casing were found outside the embassy, according to TV4 Nyheterna. Some reports said that a window had been broken.
The incident was reported some 30 minutes before Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state in its second-ever direct attack; the first one was back in April.
Ahead of the assault, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz summoned an emergency meeting with all Israeli ambassadors on “how to act with heads of state in the various capitals in view of the recent attacks.”
Iran is behind a series of terrorist attacks carried out by criminal gangs targeting Israeli embassies in Europe, including Sweden, over the past months, the Mossad intelligence agency revealed earlier this year.
(JNS)