Explosion at the US Embassy in Oslo.
An explosion hit the entrance to the consular section of the United States Embassy in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said, adding that no injuries were reported and the cause is still under investigation.The explosion occurred around 1 a.m. local time (5.30 a.m. EST), according to a statement issued by the Oslo Police Department.
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Police incident commander Michael Delemere told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that the explosion occurred at the entrance to the consular section of the embassy.“At approximately 1 a.m., we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly thereafter and confirmed that there had been an explosion that had hit the American embassy,” Delemir said, adding that the damage appeared to be minor.
The authorities refused to reveal further details about the nature of the explosion. He added: “We will not comment on the type of damage or what may have exploded because it is too early in the investigation.”Delemere later told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 that police believe the incident may have been the work of an individual, although investigations are continuing. Officers are currently speaking with witnesses, while a bomb squad has been deployed to the scene.
The police confirmed that they were in contact with officials at the American embassy, and a large security presence was deployed in the area following the explosion.Residents living near the embassy reported that they heard a strong explosion. A 16-year-old witness named Edward told TV2 that he initially thought the sound came from his home.“My mother and I initially thought it was coming from our house, but then we saw bright lights outside the window and a lot of police,” he said, describing the presence of sniffer dogs, drones, armed officers and helicopters.Local media reports said that the authorities cordoned off a large area around the embassy and stopped vehicles approaching the site.This incident comes at a time when US diplomatic missions remain on high alert in several regions following the recent US military operations targeting Iran, which raised concerns about retaliatory attacks.However, Delemere said there is currently no indication that the Oslo explosion is linked to the conflict.
