The current spate of gang-related explosions near homes and business premises spread to Arnhem on Thursday night, with blasts at the Elderveld shopping centre.

Residents in nearby apartments report being woken up in the middle of the night by the explosions outside café Diner ’66 and nearby Chinese restaurant Fong Sho. 

What the police described as “suspicious objects” were found by the café and another lunch room earlier on Thursday and Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch had already closed the two eateries for two weeks by order.

The explosions took place shortly before 4 am and an investigation is now under way. 

There was another explosion on the Cortenbachsingel in Rotterdam on Thursday night, taking the teller to 66 explosions in the port city so far this year, news website Nu.nl reported.

But just three people have received slight injuries in the blasts which is a “miracle”, the city’s police say. 

Business premises and homes in Utrecht and Amsterdam have also been targeted with home-made bombs this year as has property the commuter town of Purmerend.

The fact that the explosions are carried out at night shows that “criminals want to send a message” rather than cause injury, police chiefs told Nu.nl last month.