Norway police on Sunday said an overnight explosion at the US embassy in Oslo may have been an act of terrorism, though investigators stressed other motives have not been ruled out.
The blast caused no injuries and only minor material damage, but prompted an immediate security response in the Norwegian capital.
“One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism," Frode Larsen, head of the police’s Joint Unit for Investigation and Intelligence, told public broadcasterNRK. “But we are not completely stuck on that. We must be open to the possibility that there may be other reasons for what has happened."
At a press conference on Sunday, Larsen said it was natural to view the explosion as a targeted attack on the embassy. “It is natural to see this in the context of the security policy situation," he said, adding that there are currently no suspects.
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Police images from the scene showed shattered glass and fallen lamps outside the embassy’s consular entrance. Head of the Joint Unit for Operational Service, Grete Metlid, confirmed that an explosive device had been thrown at the embassy, though she declined to specify the type.
Following the blast, security at the embassy has been increased. Metlid said police officers are now stationed outside, and guarding and operational readiness across key sites in Oslo have been reinforced.
“Over time, and especially recently, we have had an increased presence at several objects in the capital, with a background in the security policy situation. After the incident last night, we have further strengthened our measures," she said.
The explosion, which occurred around 1:00 am local time (0000 GMT) in the early hours of Sunday, left black marks on the ground and cracks in thick glass doors at the entrance to the consular section.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide had called the incident “unacceptable" and said he had been in contact with the US embassy’s charge d’affaires, Eric Meyer.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
