Swedish cities rocked by 4 explosions in less than an hour

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) – Swedish cities were hit by four explosions in less than an hour, police said on Thursday.

Bomb squads were called in to investigate as the Nordic country is struggling to contain gang-related violence.

According to local media, police in the west coast city of Gothenburg first received reports of explosions around 1:00 a.m. local time (2300GMT) at two different residential addresses only 10 minutes apart.

The local media said police confirmed that the national bomb squad had been called in to investigate.

"Both sites have been cordoned off, and technical investigations are ongoing," police said.

Just an hour later, two more explosions were reported only minutes apart in Norsborg, a Stockholm suburb, and Nykoping, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the capital.

Apart from material damage to all four residential buildings, it has been reported that no one was injured.

According to the police, the motive for the bombings is still not known.

In recent years, Sweden has struggled to control a surge in war-like gang-related violence.

The Nordic country recorded 90 bombings last year, with another 101 attempts and preparations to detonate bombs, and this year, as of August 15, another 109 blasts had been recorded, according to police data.