An explosion near the US Embassy in Oslo on Sunday caused minor damage but did not injure anyone, police in the Norwegian capital said.
A loud blast was heard near the embassy in western Oslo at around 1 a.m. (0000 UTC), the Oslo police department said. Local media quoted eyewitnesses who reported seeing smoke rising from the area.
What did the police say?
Police spokesperson Michael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK that the blast was near the entry to the embassy’s consular section. “At around 1:00 a.m. we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed that there had been an explosion that hit the US Embassy,” NRK quoted Dellemyr as saying. “There is minor damage,” he added.
Police said a search for the perpetrators was underway but did not provide further information on the nature and cause of the explosion. Dellemyr said that no more explosive devices had been found in the area.
Heavy police deployment near the US Embassy in Oslo
A large area around the embassy compound was cordoned off amid a heavy police deployment. Local media reported officers were stopping cars near the area. “The police are in a dialogue with the embassy and there are no reports of any injured persons,” the Oslo police department said in another statement.
There was no immediate comment from US officials in Oslo or the US State Department. US embassies have been on high alert in the Middle East over the Iran war. Dellemyr said there was no immediate indication that the incident in Oslo was connected to the Middle East tensions. “We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” he told Norway’s TV2.
Edited by: Sean Sinico