Oslo Embassy Explosion: Latest News & Updates

On the night of Sunday there was an explosion at the US embassy at Huseby in Oslo.

No one was injured, but the police are taking the case very seriously.

– It is natural to see this in the context of the security policy situation.

This is what leader Frode Larsen at the Joint Unit for Investigation and Intelligence says at the press conference at 12 noon on Sunday.

The attack is aimed at the embassy, ​​the police believe.

– Are you investigating this as terrorism?

– It is one of the hypotheses that it is terrorism, but we are not completely locked in on that. We must be open to the possibility that there may be other reasons for what has happened, says Larsen.

So far, no one has been arrested. The police also have no suspects.

– Completely unacceptable incident

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre says it is very serious that an explosion goes off at the US embassy.

He says that both the PST and the police are investigating the case and giving it high priority.

– It is important to stress that there is no indication that the situation is dangerous for people in Oslo or elsewhere in the country.

Nevertheless, security has been increased at the American embassy.

– As well as other American, Israeli and also Jewish targets.

The Prime Minister has been in contact with the head of the American embassy.

Here he assured that the government is following up the matter closely.

– The fact that the police believe the action appears to be targeted and that it may be related to the security policy situation underlines the seriousness of the case, says Støre.

Woke up to the house shaking

Magnus Dæhlen lives right next to the embassy.

He woke up a little before 1 a.m. on Sunday to a boom and the house shaking.

– The first thing I tried was to check what on earth this was, and to check with the children, says Dæhlen.

Quickly he saw the blue lights outside the embassy. Then he realized that this was where it narrowed.

– I got out of bed, I saw the blue lights outside the embassy. Then I realized something had happened at the embassy, ​​says Dæhlen.

He says that the political climate around the United States makes you a little anxious.

– But it feels safe when the police were on the scene so quickly.

The next day he was at the embassy with his 9-year-old daughter Matilda and her friend Nora.

– Are you afraid that such things will happen again?

– When the embassy was set up here, it was one of the things that it would become a goal, but now little has happened here until now.

Dählen also does not believe that not much will happen in the future either.

No arrests or suspects

The explosion occurred at the public entrance to the embassy.

Photos from the scene show broken glass and that lamps have fallen down.

Head of operational service in the Oslo police, Grete Metlid, said during the press conference that explosives were “thrown” at the embassy.

– Was it a hand grenade?

– We have not said anything about what has been thrown. It is an explosive device. More than that, we will not answer at this time.

The police have been looking for the person or persons behind it with both helicopters, dogs and drones.

Increased security

The police and PST cooperate closely after the explosion.

Metlid says that the security policy situation has meant that the police have over time been more present at several specific places in Oslo.

– After last night’s incident, we have further strengthened our measures.

She adds that the police have strengthened both guarding and “operational ability”.

Among other things, they now have police officers standing outside the embassy.

– How was the guard at the embassy when this happened?

– I cannot go into more detail about it now. There are various measures around security, but we don’t usually go into details there, says Metlid.

On Sunday, a number of large events take place in Oslo. Among other things, the 8 March train on the occasion of Women’s Day.

– They are going as planned and we have good plans around it, said Metlid.

She emphasized that there is no concern about security around these events.

The police’s view is that there is also no increased danger for the rest of the population.

Have called in extra personnel

PST is also working on the explosion, and is in dialogue with the police, they confirm.

– During the night, extra personnel were called in, says communications advisor Martin Bernsen.

For now, there is no change in the threat level, he says.

At the same time, Bernsen emphasizes that there is already a moderate terrorist threat level in Norway – which is already an elevated level.

Bernsen will not comment on whether PST is in contact with the US authorities.

– For the time being, we are following what is happening in the investigation, and of course we are also doing our own investigations, but I cannot comment any further.

At the same time, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says that he has been in contact with the US embassy.

– The security of diplomatic stations is very important to us, and the matter is now being investigated by the police and PST, he says.

NRK has tried to get a comment from both the embassy and the American authorities, but has not yet received a reply.

Controversial history

The embassy is located at Huseby in the Røa area of ​​Oslo.

It has done so since 2017. Before that, it was in the fog in the center of Oslo, close to the Royal Palace and Solli plass.

Security was one of the reasons why the embassy was moved to Huseby.

It was considered safer with an American embassy that had more space, more open countryside around it and was not located in the middle of the city center.

The location was highly controversial. Neighbors fought against the plans in several rounds – partly because they feared having a terrorist target in the area.

The conflict went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ended up deciding that the construction was legal: