Oslo, Norway – An explosion near the US Embassy in Oslo on Sunday caused minor damage but did not injure anyone, police in the Norwegian capital said.
A loud blast was heard near the embassy, located in western Oslo, at around 1am (0000 UTC), the Oslo police department said.
Local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying that they saw smoke rising from the area.
What did the police say?
Police spokesperson Michael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK that the blast was near the entry to the embassy’s consular section.
“:At around 1am we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed that there had been an explosion that hit the US Embassy,” NRK quoted Dellemyr as saying.
“There is minor damage,” he added
Police said a search for the perpetrators was underway, but they did not provide further information on the nature and cause of the explosion.
Dellemyr said that no more explosive devices had been found in the area.
Heavy police deployment
A large area around the embassy compound was cordoned off amid a huge police deployment.
Local media reported that police officers were stopping cars driving near the area.
“The police are in a dialogue with the embassy and there are no reports of any injured persons,” the Oslo police department said in another statement.
There was no immediate comment from US officials in Oslo or the US State Department.
US embassies have been on high alert in the Middle East over the Iran war.
Dellemyr said there was no immediate indication that the exposition in Oslo was connected to the Middle East tensions.
“We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” he told Norway’s TV2.
DW
