By Obinna Uballa
Tension rose in the Norwegian capital early Sunday after an explosion struck the United States Embassy in Oslo, damaging part of the diplomatic facility and triggering a major security response.
Police confirmed that the blast occurred around 1:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) but said no injuries were reported and the cause of the explosion remained under investigation.
According to the Oslo Police Department, officers received multiple emergency calls reporting a loud explosion near the embassy complex and arrived at the scene shortly afterward.
Norway’s public broadcaster, NRK, quoted police incident commander Michael Dellemyr as saying the blast struck the entrance area of 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,” Dellemyr said.
He added that the damage to the building appeared to be limited.
“There is minor damage,” he said, declining to provide further details about the nature of the explosion.
“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, noting that the investigation was still in its early stages.
However, speaking later to TV2, Dellemyr suggested the explosion may have been deliberate.
“We have an idea of the cause,” he said. “It appears to us that this is an act carried out by someone.”
Police said investigators were interviewing witnesses and examining the scene, while TV2 reported that bomb disposal experts had been deployed to the area.
Authorities also confirmed they were in contact with officials at the US embassy as the investigation continued.
The blast prompted a heavy security presence around the embassy complex, with police sealing off surrounding streets and stopping vehicles approaching the area.
Residents living near the diplomatic compound said they were startled awake by the sound of the explosion.
A 16-year-old resident identified as Edvard told TV2 he was watching television at home when the blast occurred.
“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.
“There were police dogs and drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air,” he added.
Media reports said a wide perimeter was established around the embassy while security operations continued.
The incident comes at a time of heightened security for US diplomatic missions worldwide amid escalating tensions linked to American military operations in Iran.
Several US diplomatic and industrial targets in the Middle East have reportedly faced threats or attacks in recent days.
However, Norwegian authorities cautioned that there was no immediate evidence linking the Oslo explosion to the ongoing conflict.
“We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” Dellemyr told TV2.
Reports say investigations into the explosion are ongoing.
