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4 dead in Stockholm truck attack, 1 person arrested – Swedish Police

SHAFAQNA – Stockholm authorities have confirmed that four people have died and 15 are injured, following the truck attack that took place outside Ahlens department store in the city. Swedish police have also confirmed one person has been arrested.

Police said that the person was arrested in a Northern Stockholm suburb and resembles the picture and description they issued earlier Friday, according to Reuters.

“We went public with information and a picture of a person that we were interested in. The person who is arrested resembles that description which means we have particular interest in him in regard to the ongoing investigation,” regional police official Jan Evensson told a news conference.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says that all details indicate the incident was a “terrorist attack.” 

A witness by the name of Dimitris told Aftonbladet that he saw at least two people run over by the vehicle.

Witness Stefan Pettersson told RT that he “saw at least three bodies that were covered with blankets and probably already dead.” He added that he could see smoke and fire.

“And now I can see policemen, they’re armed and they have full protection and it’s really chaos, and they told us to stay away from the windows…” he added.

Pettersson went on to state that he was about to leave for lunch at the time of the attack, noting that “if I had been 15 seconds earlier I probably would have been dead right now…”

Swedish police have issued a warning to avoid Stockholm’s city center. All Stockholm subway services have been shut down, according to TT news agency.

The city’s central train station has also been evacuated. All trains to and from the station have been canceled for the rest of the day, Sweden’s national rail company SJ announced.

All Swedish government offices have been closed following the attack, and all ministers are safe, a source told Reuters.

“I saw hundreds of people run, they ran for their lives,” a witness by the name of Anna told the newspaper, adding that she also fled the scene.

A worker at Åhlens department store said the truck drove into the store’s perfume department. He said an alarm went off inside the store and everyone was asked to leave the building, SVT reported.

A photo posted online shows the truck after it crashed into the department store, with the caption stating that the vehicle came from a direction in which trucks are not allowed.

Radio Sweden is also reporting that the truck caught fire after crashing into the department store.

Helicopters are circling above the area, a witness told SVT.

Security has also been tightened at other locations throughout the city.

Facebook has activated its safety check for people in the Stockholm area.

“Yeah, of course there was a great panic,” witness Roman Mitrofanov told RT. “People were talking on their phones and crying, and some of them, almost everyone, had a mobile phone in their hand and was trying to reach somebody to talk to.”

Footage posted on Twitter shows panicked pedestrians fleeing the scene.

In a joint statement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel said they are “deeply shocked” at the incident, adding that they stand by their “Swedish friends,” Sputnik reported.