Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has blamed "irresponsible immigration policy and a failed integration" for the violence. He is taking several steps to help stem growing gang activity.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was meeting the head of Sweden's armed forces and the police chief on Friday to discuss ways to stem growing gang violence in the country.
He wanted "to see how the armed forces can help the police fight the gangs."
In September alone 12 people were killed in the wave of violence sweeping the country. One was killed in a bomb attack, and another 11 were shot dead in separate incidents.
"We're going to hunt down the gangs, and we're going to defeat them," Kristersson said during a televised address on Thursday evening.
Military and police to work together
The Scandinavian country has been wrestling with rampant gang crime for years. National Police Commissioner Anders Thornberg said it now poses a "serious threat to the safety and security of the country."
"Sweden has never seen anything like this. No other country in Europe is seeing anything like this," Kristersson said.
After winning the election last year, his coalition government had given police greater powers and introduced harsher punishment for gun crimes.
Source: DW
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