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A shooting was reported at an Israeli arms manufacturer's offices in Gothenberg, Sweden, on Thursday, with detectives investigating a possible attempted murder.
Police said a young person was arrested after reports of gunfire at an Elbit Systems building. The Haifa-based company is a major supplier to the Israeli military and has frequently been a target of pro-Palestinian protesters.
No injuries were reported. Police said they had opened an investigation into attempted murder and serious weapons offences. Local media said the suspect was not a native of the area and was either 13 or 15 years old.
It is not the first security scare involving Elbit's Swedish subsidiary. In June, a bomb squad disposed of a suspected explosive device discovered outside the building. Last year it was graffitied with red paint by protesters calling for the company to be shut down.
There have also been several threats to Israeli diplomats in Sweden. Shots were fired near the embassy in Stockholm last week. A day later, three Swedish citizens were arrested over explosions near the Israeli embassy in Denmark.
A grenade was found at the embassy compound in Stockholm in February, in what the ambassador said was an attempted attack. Shots were also fired outside the building in May, prompting Sweden to increase security measures for Israeli interests and Jewish community sites.
Iran ties
Swedish security services have linked Iran to the threats to Israeli interests, but there was no immediate indication of a link to the Elbit shooting. An intelligence agency said in May that Tehran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to commit “acts of violence”, a claim Iran denied.
Intelligence chief Fredrik Hallstrom said there were “some things that could point in [Iran's] direction” after the embassy attacks last week, due to “the choice of targets and modus operandi”. He said the possible Iranian link was “an assumption rather than pure knowledge”.
Elbit makes weapons including drones and artillery shells for the Israeli military and contributes parts to American-made F-35 fighter jets used by Israel's armed forces. In 2022, it was given a $27 million contract by Sweden's armed forces to make Nato-compliant ammunition for Leopard tanks.
The company's relationship with the Israeli military has made it a target of protest amid the war in Gaza. In August, seven people were charged in Britain over what prosecutors said was an act of burglary and criminal damage at a warehouse linked to Elbit.
On Tuesday, protesters targeted 10 offices in Britain owned by German insurer Allianz, citing its connections to Elbit. A group called Palestine Action claimed responsibility, saying that “without insurance, Elbit couldn't operate in Britain”.
