Residents living above a toy store on Abraham Staalmanplein in Amsterdam Nieuw-West were evacuated from their homes early Thursday morning after an explosive device was discovered outside the shop.
Emergency services received the first report of the situation around 1:30 a.m., leading to a significant response from local authorities.
Police knocked on doors shortly before 4:00 a.m. to clear approximately 20 apartments in the building as a safety precaution.
Evacuation and police arrests
Evacuated residents initially gathered outside on the square before being transported by a city bus operated by GVB to a nearby police station on Johan Huizingalaan.
Specialists from the Dutch Ministry of Defence explosive ordnance disposal unit arrived at the scene in protective gear to safely secure and remove the device.
Police confirmed that two suspects were arrested at the location during the incident, though details regarding their involvement have not yet been released.
It remains unclear why the device failed to detonate, and forensic teams have been examining the area for evidence.
Ongoing security concerns in Slotervaart
Residents were allowed to return to their homes shortly before 5:30 a.m. once the area was declared safe by emergency personnel.
The incident follows recent security measures implemented by the City of Amsterdam, which recently installed mobile surveillance cameras on Abraham Staalmanplein.
That decision was made after the same commercial property was targeted in two separate explosions and an act of vandalism over recent weeks.
Detectives are currently investigating whether this latest event is connected to the previous incidents at the site, for which no prior arrests had been made.
