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Stockholm bomber: Police search house in Luton | |
(40 minutes later) | |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. | Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. |
Police are searching a house in Luton believed to be where a suspected suicide bomber lived before he detonated two explosives in Sweden. | |
Sweden's chief prosecutor said Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, 28, was "98% identified" as the man who died in Stockholm in one blast. | |
A search warrant was executed in Bedfordshire on Sunday night under the Terrorism Act 2000, Met Police said. | |
No arrests have been made and no hazardous materials have been found | |
Police said a cordon around the property was expected to be widened early on Monday afternoon as the search continued. | |
Bomb belt | |
Earlier several newspapers, Swedish websites and an Islamist forum all named Abdaly, an Iraqi-born Swede, as the attacker. | |
Chief prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand told a news conference in Sweden that the body had not yet been formally identified by DNA or a close family member. | |
He said the bomber had been carrying a bomb belt and had probably intended to cause an explosion at the main railway station or a city centre department store. | |
Two people were injured in the explosions. | |
Mr Lindstrand also said Abdaly was the registered owner of the car that exploded. | Mr Lindstrand also said Abdaly was the registered owner of the car that exploded. |
A Home Office spokesman said: "We remain in close contact with the Swedish authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment on their ongoing investigation at this time." | |
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says it is likely the British security services will be investigating how long Abdaly spent in the UK and the significance of that time, as well as establishing whether he was connected to other individuals. | BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says it is likely the British security services will be investigating how long Abdaly spent in the UK and the significance of that time, as well as establishing whether he was connected to other individuals. |
Abdaly listed himself on Muslim dating website Muslima as a physical therapy graduate from the University of Bedfordshire, formerly known as the University of Luton. | Abdaly listed himself on Muslim dating website Muslima as a physical therapy graduate from the University of Bedfordshire, formerly known as the University of Luton. |
'Distorted' Islam view | |
A spokesman for the university said: "A student by the name of Taimour Abdulwahab, a Swedish national, registered in 2001 and graduated with a BSc in sports therapy from the University of Luton in 2004." | A spokesman for the university said: "A student by the name of Taimour Abdulwahab, a Swedish national, registered in 2001 and graduated with a BSc in sports therapy from the University of Luton in 2004." |
In his profile on the site, Abdaly says he was born in Baghdad and moved to Sweden in 1992, before arriving in the UK in 2001 to study. | In his profile on the site, Abdaly says he was born in Baghdad and moved to Sweden in 1992, before arriving in the UK in 2001 to study. |
He says he was married in 2004 and had two young daughters. | He says he was married in 2004 and had two young daughters. |
"I want to get married again, and would like to have a big family. My wife agreed to this," he wrote. | "I want to get married again, and would like to have a big family. My wife agreed to this," he wrote. |
The BBC's Nikki Jenkins said when Abdaly was at the Luton Islamic Centre in 2007, he was exposed by some other members for trying to present a "distorted view" of Islam. | |
When he was confronted by the other members he stormed out and was not seen again at the mosque, our correspondent added. | When he was confronted by the other members he stormed out and was not seen again at the mosque, our correspondent added. |
The Daily Telegraph quotes his neighbours as saying they last saw him two-and-a-half weeks ago. | The Daily Telegraph quotes his neighbours as saying they last saw him two-and-a-half weeks ago. |
Tahir Hussain, 33, a taxi driver who lives nearby, told the paper: "I used to see him around often. He didn't say much but seemed nice. I used to see him walking with his kids. | Tahir Hussain, 33, a taxi driver who lives nearby, told the paper: "I used to see him around often. He didn't say much but seemed nice. I used to see him walking with his kids. |
"I was shocked when I heard what happened because I never thought he could do such a thing." | "I was shocked when I heard what happened because I never thought he could do such a thing." |
E-mail threats | |
The car blew up in a busy shopping street in the area of Drottninggatan at 1700 local time (1600 GMT) on Saturday and the second blast occurred 10 to 15 minutes later on a street about 300m (985ft) away, Swedish police said. | The car blew up in a busy shopping street in the area of Drottninggatan at 1700 local time (1600 GMT) on Saturday and the second blast occurred 10 to 15 minutes later on a street about 300m (985ft) away, Swedish police said. |
They are investigating a set of e-mails sent shortly before the blasts threatening attacks because Sweden had sent troops to Afghanistan. | |
Sweden has 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international military force. | Sweden has 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international military force. |
The e-mails, with MP3 audio files in Swedish and Arabic, were sent to the Swedish security service and the TT news agency. | The e-mails, with MP3 audio files in Swedish and Arabic, were sent to the Swedish security service and the TT news agency. |
They called for "mujahideen" - or Islamist fighters - to rise up in Sweden and Europe, promising Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters". | They called for "mujahideen" - or Islamist fighters - to rise up in Sweden and Europe, promising Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters". |
They also attacked the country for caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad drawn by Swedish artist Lars Vilks. | They also attacked the country for caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad drawn by Swedish artist Lars Vilks. |
If confirmed as a suicide bombing, the attack would be the first of its kind in Sweden. | If confirmed as a suicide bombing, the attack would be the first of its kind in Sweden. |