Swedish security service raises terror alert level

Sweden’s security service, SAPO, said on Thursday it was raising its assessment of the level of threat against Sweden to 4 on a scale of 5, amid mounting international tension over the burning of copies of the Quran at demonstrations in the Nordic country, Reuters reports.

“The threat against Sweden has gradually changed and the threat of attacks from actors within violent Islamism has increased during the year,” the security service said in a statement.

SAPO said Sweden had gone from being regarded as a legitimate target for terrorist attacks to being regarded as a priority target.

READ: Germany slams Quran burning as ‘disrespectful, inappropriate’