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

Norwegian authorities have suggested that the blast at the U.S. embassy in Oslo might have been a terrorist attack. The incident occurred overnight and caused slight damage to the embassy, located in the capital city, though no one was harmed. Frode Larsen, the head of the police joint investigation and intelligence unit, shared this possibility with Norway’s public broadcaster NRK, stating,

“One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it.”

The U.S. State Department confirmed awareness of the event and is conducting an investigation. Larsen later emphasized to NRK that the police must remain open to alternative explanations for the explosion. Earlier, the Norwegian police reported deploying significant resources to the vicinity of the embassy around 01:00 local time on Sunday (00:00 GMT). They noted that communication with the embassy was ongoing, and no injuries had been reported.

Michael Dellemyr, leading the police response, revealed that the explosion took place at the public entrance of the building. Search operations were carried out in the Morgedalsvegen district, approximately 7 kilometers from the city center. Authorities also called for public assistance, urging anyone with relevant information to come forward.

Social media images later displayed broken glass near the consular section entrance, cracks on a glass door, and dark stains on the tiled floor. The Norwegian government characterized the event as “unacceptable,” with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide highlighting the importance of securing diplomatic missions. He added that he had reached out to Eric Meyer, the U.S. embassy’s chargé d’affaires, concerning the incident.