Masked or hooded people destroyed at least 80 cars by lighting them on fire in different locations in western Sweden on Monday night, according to police. The first call about burning cars came from Västra Frölunda just after 9 pm on Monday evening, with similar alarms soon arriving from Hjällbo and Angered in northeast Gothenburg, where masked adolescents allegedly set cars on fire. In total, at least 80 vehicles were burned in Gothenburg, Trollhättan, and Lysekil, according to police, who suspect it was a coordinated attack.
Police have identified and talked to young people who were in the affected areas, but it is not possible to say if they were the ones who started the fires, according to Hans Lippens, a police spokesman. During Tuesday morning, police identified young people who had been in the area, and a 19-year-old was detained in his absence by Interpol in Turkey, suspected of playing a major role in the riots. The 19-year-old lives near Gothenburg and a diplomatic process has been initiated for his release from Turkey.
There has been speculation about a political motive for the riots, but neither police nor experts have found such a connection, according to research sources.
In a separate incident, a young man is being treated with life-threatening injuries after a single-vehicle accident on Route 27 south of Värnamo. The car caught fire with open flames during the accident and was completely burned out. Police said the driver, a man in his 20s, got out of the vehicle himself, and they talked to him at the scene before he was taken to the hospital. Värnamo Hospital states the man is being treated with life-threatening injuries, and the road was closed during rescue operations.
Elsewhere, a man and a woman were turned away from a nightclub in Gävle and resisted security guards, leading to their apprehension, according to multiple reports. The man attacked security guards and was handcuffed, and the couple is suspected of crimes: the woman for violent resistance, and the man for violent resistance and violence against an official. In Uppsala, a man in his 50s tried to run over a police patrol when they attempted to check him while driving a flatbed moped, according to multiple reports. No one was injured in the Uppsala incident, but the man tested positive on a police breathalyzer and is suspected of attempted violence against an official, illegal driving, and negligence in traffic.
In Uppsala County, a 15-year-old boy is suspected of hitting a man in his 20s at a house party in Österbybruk, according to multiple reports. No one required medical care, and the boy was driven home by police. Meanwhile, a man in his 90s is suspected of aggravated drunk driving, according to multiple reports.
Internationally, Iran claims an American F-35 fighter jet was shot down over Iran and it is unlikely the pilot survived, according to the Iranian regime. The USA has not commented on the claims. In Kuwait, a fire broke out at the Kuwaiti oil refinery Mina al-Ahmadi due to an Iranian drone attack, according to multiple reports. No deaths have been reported from the refinery attack, and Kuwait's state news agency Kuna reports the refinery was targeted by a drone attack early in the morning, resulting in fires in several operational units. Kuwait's military announced its air defense tried to stop missiles and drones against the country's territory.
Amid these tensions, international air travel in Sweden increased by 5% in March despite tensions in the Middle East, according to multiple reports. Swedavia states international traffic was affected to some extent by the Middle East situation but overall development remained positive.
This comes as multiple isolated car fires were reported across Sweden and Norway. A passenger car started burning while driving on road 691 outside Avafors in Luleå municipality, according to multiple reports, with the driver driving to the side and parking in a parking bay before getting out. In Norway, a car is burning on the E6 northbound at Djupdalen in Lillestrøm, according to multiple reports, with traffic moving slowly past in one lane with queues. The fire department is working on extinguishing the fire, and no personal injuries have been reported from the E6 car fire, according to multiple reports.
In Säffle municipality, a fire broke out in a passenger car, according to multiple reports, with a stop in one lane with open flames. A passenger car on Magnegatan in Märsta is in flames, and rescue services are on their way to the location, according to multiple reports. An operator at SOS Alarm described a passenger car allegedly catching fire while travelling in Rismyran outside Burträsk, according to reports.
These incidents underscore a busy period for emergency services across Sweden and Norway, with investigations ongoing into the coordinated arson attacks and other events. Authorities are working to determine motives and connections, while the public awaits updates on the injured man in Värnamo and the international claims from Iran.