The US embassy in Oslo was hit by an explosion early Sunday, according to Norwegian police who said the blast caused minor damage but no injuries.
The blast comes at a time of heightened security for US embassies and consulates around the world as Israel and the United States conduct a rapidly escalating bombing campaign against Iran.
Multiple US diplomatic buildings in Gulf kingdoms that host American troops have been targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes, including in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
It is not known whether the blast in Oslo is linked in any way to events in the Middle East.
“We’ve determined that an explosion hit the American embassy,” Oslo police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK, adding that the blast occurred at the entry to the compound’s consular section.
Eyewitnesses reported a loud explosion near the embassy compound in western Oslo at around one AM.
Anna Gilbo told CNN she was at home with friends when she heard a blast and rushed to the window to see “a cloud of smoke” coming from the building.
“I was watching TV and hear a loud bang while the whole house shook. There was a search going on for a while after the explosion which worried my friends and I, but it feels like the threat is over,” she added.
Sebastian Toerstad, an 18-year-old school student, recalled “a very thick layer of smoke” on the street as he drove past the embassy at the time of the incident
“There was some damage to the entrance,” he told the Reuters news agency.
A search for the perpetrators was ongoing, while no further explosive devices had been found in the area, authorities confirmed.
“The police are in a dialog with the embassy and there are no reports of any injured persons,” the Oslo police department said in a separate statement.
CNN has reached out to the embassy and the US State Department, as well as Norwegian police and emergency services for comment.
A spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces said they were not yet aware of the explosion, speaking at 6 a.m. local time.
