Four teens were arrested on Monday under suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a Dutch synagogue, which Israel claims was conducted by a new terrorist group.
Prosecutors say the teens, who were not publicly identified, were behind the terror attack at a synagogue in the port city of Rotterdam, where the explosion caused a blaze inside the temple on Friday.
The arson attack was specifically “aimed at instilling serious fear in a population group, in this case the Jewish community,” the Rotterdam Public Prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The suspects — two 19-year-olds, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old — were arrested shortly after the explosion outside the temple, with the teens caught near another synagogue in Rotterdam.
The suspects were ordered held for two weeks as police investigate the attack.
The teens’ arrests come as police probe another set of explosions in Amsterdam, including one outside a Jewish school on Saturday.
While Dutch police have yet to name a suspect in the attacks, a new Islamist terrorist group claimed responsibility for the bombings on social media without evidence.
The group, which Israel claims is called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, also claimed responsibility for the incident in Rotterdam and for the attack on a synagogue in Liege, Belgium.
The group’s name translates to “The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right,” which is believed to be linked with Iran’s terror networks, the Jewish state’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry alleged, according to The Times of Israel.
“The recent events in Europe are not isolated incidents but part of a disturbing pattern of action: Terrorist networks affiliated with the Iranian axis are trying to expand their arena of operation into the cities and Jewish communities of Europe,” Minister Amichai Chikli said in a statement.
“The message must be clear — Jewish communities are not a legitimate target for threats, and the international community must act resolutely against any entity that attempts to export terrorism and antisemitism beyond the borders of the Middle East,” Chikli added.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the recent attacks on his city, adding that its Jewish residents are increasingly feeling “fear and anger” over the spate of attacks.
“That is unacceptable. A school must be a place where children can learn safely. Amsterdam must be a place where Jews can live safely,” she said.
With Post wires
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