ISTANBUL
Norwegian police investigating the explosion at the US Embassy in Oslo early Sunday said one of the working hypotheses is that the incident may be terrorism, potentially linked to the current security situation in the world.
At a press briefing on Sunday, Frode Larsen, head of the Joint Investigation and Intelligence Unit, said authorities are examining several possible causes but believe the blast was a targeted attack on the embassy, broadcaster NRK reported.
Initial investigations suggest the explosion was likely caused by some form of explosive device, Larsen said.
"One of the hypotheses is that it is terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it. We must be open to the possibility that there may be other reasons for what happened," Larsen said.
"It is natural to see this in the context of the security policy situation," she added, referring to the ongoing escalation in the Middle East amid US-Israeli attacks on Iran
Despite the incident, the national threat assessment remains unchanged, officials said.
Earlier, a statement by the Norwegian Police Service (Politiet) said officers were deployed in large numbers to the area around the US Embassy in the Huseby district of western Oslo after reports of a loud blast at around 1 am local time (0000GMT).
Police said they are in contact with officials at the embassy and confirmed that no injuries have been reported.
Authorities later confirmed that an explosion hit the embassy, specifically near the consular entrance, but said the damage was limited.
Police incident commander Michael Dellemyr told NRK that the blast caused minor damage, and authorities would not yet comment on the type of damage or what caused the explosion because the investigation is still at an early stage.
Authorities said they are searching for one or more suspects, while investigators conduct crime-scene examinations and interview witnesses.
Police added that searches around the embassy have found no indications of additional explosive threats in the area.