Stockholm attack: Sweden observes minute’s silence for victims

Copenhagen, April 10 (IANS) Sweden on Monday observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of a terror attack in central Stockholm that claimed four lives and left 15 injured.

A remembrance ceremony was held outside the City Hall in Stockholm, with flags at half-mast, in honour of those who died last week when a man rammed a hijacked truck into a crowd of pedestrians in central Stockholm.

Two people have been arrested over the attack, including 39-year-old main suspect Rakhmat Akilov from Uzbekistan, BBC reported.

His asylum request had been rejected last summer and a deportation order was pending since late February.

"You are not alone. We are thinking of you. All of Sweden stands with you," Swedish Prime Minister Stefan L?fven told family members and survivors of Friday's attack.

"Democracy would triumph over fundamentalism," he added.

Stockholm's Mayor Karin Wanng?rd promised the capital would remain "an open and tolerant" place.

"We will never give in to violence. We will never let terror prevail," he said.

The country's top authorities were in attendance, including representatives from the police, health and rescue personnel, Efe news reported.

The ceremony was presided over by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, who were flanked by Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and her husband, Prince Daniel, as well as Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia.

Also in attendance were Swedish Parliament Speaker Urban Ahlin, several lawmakers, regional and local authorities and the mayors of Copenhagen and Oslo.

Four people died in Friday's attack, among them two Swedes, one Belgian and a Briton.

Nine people remained hospitalised, two of them in serious condition.