Four teenagers detained after an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam are suspected by Dutch prosecutors of terror offenses, authorities said Monday after the suspects appeared before an investigating magistrate. The Rotterdam Public Prosecutor’s Office said the teens were arrested soon after a blast that caused a small blaze around 3:40 a.m. Friday (0240 GMT) at the port city synagogue, and prosecutors said no injuries were reported.
In a statement, prosecutors said the teens are suspected of “causing an explosion, arson and attempted arson, all with a terrorist intent.” The Rotterdam public prosecutor’s office also said the attack was “aimed at instilling serious fear in a population group, in this case the Jewish community.”
Prosecutors said they have not released details about the nature of the explosive. They also said the suspects’ names were not made public because of Dutch privacy rules. The four suspects include two 19-year-olds, one 18-year-old and one 17-year-old.
Prosecutors said the suspects were detained in a vehicle spotted close to another synagogue in Rotterdam. The judge on Monday ordered the four suspects held for a further two weeks as investigators continue their work.
The explosion comes as Dutch authorities and Jewish communities respond to heightened security concerns. The AP reported that synagogues around the world have been on edge and have been increasing security since joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, leading to war in the Middle East.
A Jewish organization in the Netherlands said in a post on X that an Islamist group had released a video claiming responsibility for the Rotterdam explosion. The organization said the same group had earlier claimed responsibility for a synagogue attack in Liege, Belgium, and posted a separate video showing another attack early Saturday in Amsterdam outside a Jewish school, and it said the authenticity of the videos could not be immediately verified.
Police in Amsterdam have not arrested suspects in the school attack, according to the AP report. MSI previously reported on the ensuing investigation after the explosion at the Jewish school.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in remarks cited by the AP that the city’s Jewish residents feel “fear and anger” and are increasingly being targeted by antisemitism. She said: “That is unacceptable. A school must be a place where children can learn safely. Amsterdam must be a place where Jews can live safely.”