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Norway probes US Embassy blast link to conflict in Middle East
Police in Norway are investigating a link to the war in the Middle East after an explosive was thrown at one of the entrances of the US Embassy in Oslo.
Police in Norway are investigating a link to the war in the Middle East after an explosive was thrown at one of the entrances of the US Embassy in Oslo early Sunday.
“We see this as a targeted attack,” Frode Larsen, head of the police investigations, told reporters on Sunday. Police believe it’s “natural” to see the incident in relation to the Iran war, which began last Saturday, but are also considering other theories, he said.
The blast caused minor damage and police are looking for one or more suspects, they said. There were no casualties. There was already increased security around the US Embassy and elsewhere in Oslo, but police are now ramping up their presence even more, Larsen said.
The US and Israeli-led strikes against Iran have led to heightened security concerns globally. At least two dozen people were killed in protests outside several US consulates across Pakistan last week as demonstrations erupted after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The incident took place at about 1 a.m. local time in Oslo. The US Embassy deferred questions to the State Department’s press office, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dogs, drones and a helicopter are involved in the hunt for the perpetrators, the police said. A bomb squad was at the embassy earlier and the Police Security Service, which does counter-terrorism work in Norway, is involved in the investigation.
Norway’s Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen, who also oversees public security, said the incident was “unacceptable,” according to Norwegian newswire NTB. “There is no indication that the situation is dangerous for outsiders,” she said.
