STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The terrorist threat level against Sweden remains high, security police said on Sunday.
The Swedish Security Service said in a statement its assessment of the terrorist threat against the Nordic country remained at level 4 on a 5-degree scale, to which it was raised last year.
“The image that is painted of Sweden as a country hostile to Islam has strongly contributed to the increased terrorist threat from violent Islamism,” it said.
It said its yearly assessment showed that Sweden is still seen as a priority target.
“The threat comes from both lone actors and groups that can be controlled from actors abroad,” it said.
Sweden raised its threat alert level in August 2023 after desecrations of the Koran by individuals in the country drew condemnation from many parts of the Muslim world and triggered threats from jihadists.
In October, two Swedes wearing Swedish football shirts were shot dead in Brussels, with officials saying the likely motive for the attack was their nationality.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)