Bomb scare shuts IKEA shops in Netherlands

Ten IKEA stores in the Netherlands remain closed today while police for bombs after explosive devices were found at two branches…

Ten IKEA stores in the Netherlands remain closed today while police for bombs after explosive devices were found at two branches.

All IKEA's Dutch stores were closed and its 4,500 employees told to stay home after bombs were found and defused at its stores in Amsterdam and Sliedrecht in the southwest of the country, police and a company spokeswoman said.

Two police officers were slightly injured when one of thedevices exploded at a police station in Sliedrecht.

Local media reported that a suspect package had also been found at an IKEA store in Utrecht, central Netherlands and the nearby section of motorway closed, snarling rush-hour traffic.

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Dutch media reported that a huge police operation to seal off the stores and close down roads near the stores had caused traffic chaos.

The head office of Dutch news agency ANP was also evacuated after police received a warning that a bomb might have been planted in the building in Rikswijk, near The Hague.