Police investigate after explosion outside US embassy in Norway; no injuries were reported

An explosion at one of the entrances to the US embassy in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, is being investigated, Norwegian police said Sunday. There were no casualties or injuries, and only minor damage to the building, they said in a statement to News themezone.

The explosion occurred around 1 a.m. local time, Oslo police said, adding that a “loud bang” was reported at the scene. Investigators had been canvassing the area while dogs, drones and helicopters were also involved in the search “for one or more possible perpetrators,” according to police. They have not identified any suspects so far, police said at a news conference.

Frode Larsen, head of the Oslo police investigation unit, told reporters at a news conference that it may have been a deliberate attack linked to the crisis in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

“It is natural to see this in the context of the current security situation and that it could be a deliberately targeted attack on the US embassy,” Larsen said.

Larsen later told public broadcaster NRK that “one of our hypotheses is that this is terrorism, but we are also exploring other options.”

Police incident commander Michael Dellemyr told NRK that the explosion hit the entrance to the consular section of the embassy.

Dellemyr told TV2 that Oslo police “would not comment on anything related to the type of damage, what exploded and similar details, beyond the fact that there was an explosion” because “it is very early in the investigation.”

The explosion may have been a deliberate attack, and Dellemyr told TV2 that investigators “have an idea of ​​the cause” and that the incident appeared to be “an act carried out by someone.” Police said they were beefing up security measures in Oslo and increased their presence around the US embassy. They said police were specifically increasing security measures to protect the Iranian diaspora and Jewish communities in Norway.

Dellemyr said investigators were speaking to witnesses and TV2 reported that a bomb squad was at the scene.

Police have determined that the scene and surrounding area were safe for both investigators and residents. They said there was no indication of a persistent threat.

News themezone has reached out to the State Department for comment.

Rep. Rick Crawford, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told News on Sunday that he believes the explosion at the embassy “may have been a terrorist attack.”

“We need to be very diligent not only with our security here at home, but also with targets around the world where there are American assets, including embassies, etc.,” he said..

Residents near the embassy said they heard a loud explosion. A 16-year-old boy identified only as Edvard told TV2 he was watching television when he heard it.

“My mom and I first thought it was coming from our house, so we looked around a little bit, but then we saw flashing lights outside the window and a bunch of police,” he said. “…There were police dogs, drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air.”

US embassies have been placed on high alert in the Middle East due to US military operations in Iranand several have faced attacks as Tehran counterstrikes industrial and diplomatic targets.