Ikea stores attacked

THREE European Ikea stores — one each in Holland, France and Belgium — were hit yesterday by firework attacks.

No serious injuries were reported and most stores re-opened as scheduled yesterday.

Police in Son en Breugel, near Eindhoven, Holland, said an explosion destroyed a rubbish bin shortly before the store was due to close on Monday. A suspicious package was destroyed but it turned out not to have been an explosive.

In Ghent, newspaper De Standaard cited police spokesman Steven DeSmet as saying there were two explosions at the store at about 6pm.

Police and Ikea in Lomme, France, could not immediately be reached to comment on the incident there.

Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson in Sweden, said the explosions were caused by “small firework devices.”