Explosion at US embassy in Oslo may have been terrorism, Norway police say

Explosion at US embassy in Oslo may have been terrorism, Norway police say

Norway’s police have suggested that an explosion at the US embassy in Oslo during the night might be linked to terrorism. The embassy in the Norwegian capital sustained minor damage after the blast in the early hours of Sunday – but no-one was injured.

“One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it,” Frode Larsen, the head of police joint investigation and intelligence unit, told Norway’s public broadcaster NRK.

Norwegian authorities say they are in contact with US diplomats, and an investigation into the incident is now under way. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed awareness of the event at the embassy and noted ongoing inquiries.

“We have to be open to the possibility that there may be other causes behind what has happened,” Larsen emphasized later on Sunday when speaking to NRK.

In an earlier statement, Norway’s police revealed that “large resources” were deployed to the area around the embassy at about 01:00 local time on Sunday (00:00 GMT). The statement added that “the police are in dialogue with the embassy and no injuries have been reported.”

Michael Dellemyr, leading the police response, indicated the explosion occurred at the public entrance to the building. He stated that officers conducted searches in the Morgedalsvegen district of Oslo, approximately 7km (4 miles) from the city centre.

Authorities also issued a call for information, urging anyone with insights into the event to come forward. Social media later shared images of shattered glass, cracked doors, and dark marks on the tiled floor near the consular section.

“The security of diplomatic missions is very important to us,” said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who described the incident as “unacceptable.” He added that he had reached out to US embassy chargé d’affaires Eric Meyer regarding Sunday’s event.