Norwegian police announced on Wednesday that they had detained three brothers suspected of carrying out Sunday's bombing of the US embassy in Oslo, an attack that investigators consider an act of terrorism, Reuters notes.
The powerful explosion, produced by an improvised explosive device (IED), damaged the entrance to the consular section of the embassy, but caused no injuries, Norwegian authorities said.
The three suspects, all in their 20s, are Norwegian citizens with family origins in Iraq, police said.
“They are suspected of a terrorist bomb attack,” police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told reporters.
“We believe they detonated a powerful bomb at the United States embassy with the intention of causing significant casualties or damage,” Hatlo said, adding that none of the suspects had yet been questioned.
Reuters could not immediately determine whether the three admitted to the crime or maintain their innocence.
Images of one of the suspects, released by police on Monday, show a hooded person wearing dark clothing and carrying a bag or backpack.
Investigators said Monday that one of the hypotheses is that the incident is “an act of terrorism” related to the war in the Middle East, but other possible motives are being looked into.
Police are now also investigating whether the attack was carried out on behalf of a foreign state, Hatlo said, noting that other leads are being examined.
Europe is on high alert for possible attacks as the United States and Israel carry out airstrikes on Iran and Iran launches drone and missile attacks on Israel and US targets in the Middle East.
On Monday, a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liege was damaged by an explosion that authorities described as an anti-Semitic attack. It is not clear who is behind the incident.
