Man of Pakistani extraction arrested for synagogue shooting in Oslo

Jonathan Tisdall:

A 29-year-old man with links to the criminal A-gang is among the four suspects arrested on Tuesday and charged with firing on Oslo's synagogue last weekend.

The man was arrested in Germany this summer, suspected of participating in the planning of a terrorist attack on the soccer World Cup there. He was released quickly.

Last week he was arrested again, this time charged with threats against crime journalist Nina Johnsrud from the newspaper Dagsavisen. Police suspect him of having something to do with shots having been fired against her house this summer, but he was released after 24 hours.

The man's lawyer, John Christian Elden, denied any involvement in the synagogue shooting on the part of his client. In addition to the 29-year-old, who is of Pakistani extraction, Oslo police and the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) have arrested three others.

"The four have different ethnic backgrounds," said police inspector Iver Stensrud, head of the Oslo police's section for organized crime. He did not rule out further arrests.

Charges in the case are vandalism, violation of the Weapons Act and reckless handling of a firearm. The four suspects were arrested in various spots in downtown Oslo and the city's suburbs between 5 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

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