ROTTERDAM – Four teenagers from Tilburg have been arrested following an explosion at a synagogue in Rotterdam, in what authorities describe as a serious criminal investigation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday morning at a synagogue located at A.B.N. Davidsplein. The explosion took place around 3:40 a.m., briefly causing a fire that extinguished on its own. No injuries were reported.
Police immediately launched an investigation and reviewed surveillance footage from the surrounding area. Shortly after the explosion, a vehicle was spotted near another synagogue in the Hillegersberg district of Rotterdam.
Officers deemed the driving behavior suspicious and stopped the car near a synagogue on Mozartlaan. During the check, police detected the smell of gasoline, and one of the occupants matched a description circulated after the explosion. All four individuals in the vehicle were subsequently arrested.
The suspects include two 19-year-old men, an 18-year-old man, and a 17-year-old boy. According to reports, three of the four have a Caribbean background and were born in the Netherlands. Sources cited by Dutch media suggest the suspects may have acted as executors, possibly hired to carry out the attack.
Following the arrests, police conducted searches at multiple locations in Tilburg, including properties on Van Delfthof, Lage Witsiebaan, and Dirk Fockstraat. Several digital devices were seized as part of the investigation.
Authorities are now examining whether the suspects possessed materials for additional attacks and are working to identify who may have ordered the explosion.
The case is being handled by a Team Large-Scale Investigation (TGO). The suspects have been brought before an examining magistrate, and the investigation is ongoing, focusing on their roles, motives, and any possible involvement of others.