This photograph shows a synagogue on ABN Davidsplein in Rotterdam, western Netherlands on March 13, 2026, after a fire started. - / AFP
Dutch police said Friday, March 13, they had arrested four young men on suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief blaze and damage to the building.
After the blast, police monitored other synagogues as a precaution and stopped a vehicle near another building driven by someone matching the description of one of the suspects.
"It is not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive or set fire to another synagogue as well," police said in a statement.
Two men were aged 19, one 18 and the fourth was 17 years old, said police, without specifying any potential motive. Authorities said they were launching a "large-scale investigation into this serious incident" and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
