Explosion at US embassy in Oslo causes minor damage, police say

Explosion at US embassy in Oslo causes minor damage, police say

A blast struck the American diplomatic mission in Oslo early Sunday, Norwegian authorities reported, with the incident causing minimal structural harm and no casualties. The explosion occurred at the entry to the embassy’s consular section, according to police, who emphasized that the damage was limited and no one was injured.

This attack occurs amid increased vigilance surrounding US diplomatic missions globally, coinciding with Israel and the US intensifying airstrikes on Iran. Iranian retaliatory strikes have targeted several US diplomatic sites in Gulf nations hosting American military personnel, such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. However, the connection between the Oslo incident and Middle Eastern events remains unclear.

“We’ve determined that an explosion hit the American embassy,” Oslo police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK, adding that the blast occurred at the entry to the compound’s consular section.

“I was watching TV and hear a loud bang while the whole house shook. There was a search going on for a while after the explosion which worried my friends and I, but it feels like the threat is over,” she added.

“There was some damage to the entrance,” he told the Reuters news agency.

Authorities confirmed that an investigation into the attackers was underway, and no additional explosives were discovered at the scene. The police are in a dialog with the embassy and there are no reports of any injured persons, the Oslo police department said in a separate statement.

The Norwegian Armed Forces remained unaware of the incident at 6 a.m. local time, as per their spokesperson’s statement, while CNN sought comments from the embassy, US State Department, and local emergency services.