Norwegian police arrested three brothers of Iraqi descent who are Norwegian citizens following a bombing near the U.S. Embassy in Oslo last weekend. Although the blast caused only minor damage and no injuries, officials are investigating it as an act of "terrorism" and examining the possibility of foreign state involvement.
Norwegian police revealed that they arrested three brothers in Oslo suspected of involvement in the bombing near the U.S. Embassy there last weekend. Authorities are investigating the case as an act of terrorist bombing.
Christian Hatlo, a police prosecutor, stated in a press conference that the three suspects are Norwegian citizens of Iraqi descent, about 20 years old, and were arrested in Oslo. Officials are urgently investigating the motive behind the attack. He said several hypotheses are under consideration, including the possibility that the attack was ordered by a foreign state agency, since the target was the U.S. Embassy and global security tensions remain high.
Initial police findings suggest that one suspect planted the bomb outside the embassy, while the other two played roles in assisting or conspiring in the attack.
Oystein Storvik, the lawyer for one of the suspects, told TV2 that his client admitted involvement in the incident and confessed to planting the bomb. The suspect has already given a statement to the police about the event.
Although none of the three suspects had previously been on police watchlists, the prosecutor said the investigation has not ruled out possible links between the suspects and criminal networks.
Previously, Norway’s security intelligence service, PST, noted in its annual threat assessment that Iran is among the main threats to the country and may use "proxy operatives" or criminal networks to carry out attacks. However, the Iranian Ambassador to Oslo has denied any involvement in the bombing, rejecting allegations aimed at Iran.
The bombing occurred around 01:00 on Sunday, 8 Mar 2024 GMT+7, near the consular entrance of the U.S. Embassy, causing minor damage but no injuries. On Monday, police released CCTV footage showing a suspect wearing dark clothing, a hood, and carrying a backpack.
Around the same time as the bombing, a video was uploaded to the U.S. Embassy’s Google Maps page but was later removed. The video showed images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of Iran, who died on the first day of U.S. and Israeli military attacks in Iran.
According to Norway’s public broadcaster NRK, the video uploader wrote in Persian, "God is great, we have won."
Norwegian police have launched further investigations into the video to determine any connection to the bombing incident.
/sourceAFP