BREAKING: Amsterdam: Terrorist cell intended to blow up shops

BREAKING: Amsterdam: Terrorist cell intended to blow up shops

Amsterdam escaped a terror attack Thursday. A telephone call to the police Wednesday night said that three men wanted to set off explosives in packed stores in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. The authorities cleared branches of IKEA, MediaMarkt and Perry Sport Thursday morning and other stores remained closed due to 'a threat'.

Only on Thursday evening was it clarified what the threat was. The telephone call was made from an apartment in Brussels, which was also searched.

Seven people were arrested in the Netherlands, including a family member of somebody involved in the attacks in Madrid on March 11, 2004, five years and a day ago. They are six men and one woman aged 19 to 64, Dutch of Moroccan background.

The police thinks that the direct threat is over with the arrests, but they are not excluding anything. The investigation is still ongoing and it is unclear when the shops will open again.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)


Update:

The seven suspects have not been involved in previous terrorism cases in the Netherlands, it was reported in a joint press conference of the police, justice department and municipality. However, an unknown number of them was involved in violent crime.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)


Update 2:


The phone call was made just before midnight from a pre-paid mobile phone. The caller told where the men were staying and named names, addresses and stores. He also gave a vague description.

Source: HLN (Dutch)


Update 3:

Amsterdam: Terror alarm possibly act of revenge

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