'Blasts were suicide attack'

A still image taken from video footage shows a firefighter attempting to put out the fire on a burning car in Stockholm. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

STOCKHOLM - TWO explosions in central Stockholm Saturday were a 'terrorist' attack, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said, with one television report saying the only person to die was the bomber.

Mr Bildt's comments, sent from his Twitter account, effectively confirmed earlier reports in the Swedish media that the two almost simultaneous explosions had been an attack. 'Most worrying attempt at terrorist attack in crowded part of central Stockholm,' wrote Mr Bildt. 'Failed - but could have been truly catastrophic...' he added.

Earlier, neither the police nor the intelligence service had confirmed a report from Sweden's SVT television that the explosions had in fact been an attack, with the only person to die being the bomber.

SVT also reported that a bag filled with nails had been found near the body. The two explosions went off in a shopping centre in the capital at around 5pm (1600 GMT, midnight Singapore time), SVT reported.

Earlier, police and the emergency services reported two almost simultaneous explosions in downtown Stockholm, with one person killed and two others injured.

The Swedish news agency TT reported that it had received messages about 10 minutes before the blasts in Arab and Swedish, warning of unspecified 'action.' 'Our acts will speak for themselves,' TT quoted the message as saying. 'Now your children, your daughters and your sisters will die as our brothers, our sisters and our children are dying.' -- AFP