Stockholm attack accused 'confesses'

By Atilla Altuntas

STOCKHOLM

A man detained in connection with a deadly terrorist attack in Stockholm last week has admitted the crime, the accused’s lawyer said on Tuesday.

Rakhmat Akilov, a migrant of Uzbek origin, confessed he was the driver of a stolen truck which was rammed into a department store in the center of Sweden’s capital on Friday.

Four people died and 15 were injured in the incident on Drottninggatan Street.

A police source also confirmed Akilov had owned up to the attack.

Last Friday's incident followed a number of similar attacks across Europe where vehicles have been used as weapons, being driven into crowds of pedestrians.

Over 80 people died after a terrorist drove a truck into French crowds celebrating Bastille Day last July in the southern city of Nice.

More recently, 12 people lost their lives in Berlin when a truck rammed into shoppers at a Christmas market in the German capital.

Just over two weeks ago, five people died in a terror attack outside the U.K. parliament in London. The killer used a car to ram into pedestrians crossing Westminster Bridge.

Reporting by Atilla Altuntas; Writing by Emin Avundukluoglu