Stockholm suicide bomber could have had helping hands: Swedish investigators

STOCKHOLM - Swedish officials have claimed that Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, the suicide bomber who blew himself up on a Stockholm street full of holiday shoppers, was likely to have been helped by others in preparing for the attack.

Following the incident, investigators had said that Al-Abdaly, an Iraqi-born Swede, had apparently acted alone during the bombing, in which he died and two people were hurt.

According to the Guardian, Swedish investigators are now “investigating whether there could have been someone else involved in the preparations”, though there are no suspects at this point.

They also said they were aware of claims made by Iraqi officials that captured insurgents had revealed the suicide bombing was part of attacks being planned by al-Qaida against the US and Europe during the Christmas season.

“We consider it interesting,” the paper quoted Jan Garton, of the SAPO security service, as saying.

Al-Abdaly had reportedly spent much of the last decade in Luton, known as a hotbed of terrorism, where he studied for a degree and continued living there with his wife and three young children.

Earlier sources at the Luton Islamic Centre had said that the 28-year-old terrorist’s views were considered so extreme that he was asked to leave after he began giving sermons three years ago. (ANI)