Explosion at another law firm, now in The Hague; More blasts tied to quarrels, not crime

An explosive went off at a law firm in The Hague on Tuesday evening, causing no injuries but considerable damage to the building. This is the second explosive attack targeting a law firm in just over a week, after a previous attack on one in Amsterdam. People seem to be increasingly grabbing an explosive when they’re upset about something, the police said earlier on Tuesday. Less than half of this year’s explosive attacks were linked to crime.

The explosion in The Hague happened at around 10:00 p.m. on Laan van Meerdervoort 329, a building housing several law offices. The police are investigating and asked witnesses to come forward.

Last week Monday, someone set off an explosive at Spuistraat 10 Advocaten in Amsterdam. Here too, no one got hurt, but the damage to the building was considerable. It is unclear whether any arrests have been made.

Earlier on Tuesday, the police reported that the number of explosive attacks continues to rise. After doubling last year, the upward trend is continuing this year. Up to and including September, the police recorded 768 explosive incidents, compared to 497 in the same period the year before.

“It seems to be becoming a social trend to settle disputes with an attack,” Jos van der Stap of the police said. The idea that most attacks are related to a conflict in the criminal environment is outdated. “We estimate that in more than half of the incidents, there is no link with crime,” Van der Stap said. “A major problem is that private individuals can obtain heavy explosives far too easily and that the threshold for using them is low.”