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By Lawrence Agbo
An explosion struck the United States Embassy in Oslo, Norway, in the early hours of Sunday, causing minor damage but no injuries, according to police in the Norwegian capital.
The blast occurred at about 1:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), the Oslo Police Department said in a statement, adding that the cause of the explosion was not immediately known.
Police incident commander Michael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK that the explosion hit the entrance 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,” he said.
Dellemyr noted that the damage appeared to be minor but declined to provide further details.
“We are not going to comment on anything related to the type of damage, what it is that has exploded and similar details beyond the fact that there has been an explosion,” he said.
He later told TV2 that investigators had a preliminary idea about what may have caused the blast, suggesting it appeared to be “an act carried out by someone.”
Police said officers were speaking with witnesses as part of the investigation, while local broadcaster TV2 reported that a bomb squad had been deployed to the scene.
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Authorities also confirmed they were in contact with the embassy following the incident, with a large number of police personnel deployed around the building.
A 16-year-old witness identified only as Edvard told TV2 that he was watching television when he heard the explosion.
“My mother and I first thought it came from our house, so we looked around a little, but then we saw the flashing lights outside the window and a ton of police,” he said.
He described a heavy security presence in the area, including police dogs, drones, officers carrying automatic weapons, and helicopters flying overhead.
Media reports said a large section around the embassy had been restricted, and police stopped cars trying to drive through nearby streets.
US embassies in several regions, particularly in the Middle East, have been on heightened alert recently due to American military operations involving Iran, with some diplomatic missions facing threats or attacks.
However, Dellemyr said there was currently no indication that the explosion in Oslo was linked to those tensions.
“We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” he told TV2.
