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An explosion struck the U.S. Embassy in Oslo early Sunday, causing minor damage to the building's consular entrance but no injuries.
Norwegian police stated that the blast appeared to be a deliberate act and launched a major investigation with drones, helicopters and a bomb squad deployed to the scene.
The explosion occurred at around 1 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) near the consular entrance of the embassy in the Huseby district of western Oslo, police said in a statement.
Officers were deployed in large numbers to the area after reports of a loud blast.
"Several reports of a bang were received around 01:00 am. We arrived shortly afterward and confirmed that an explosion had occurred that struck the U.S. Embassy," police incident commander Michael Dellemyr told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
He said the blast caused only "minor material damage" and that authorities would not comment on the type of damage or what caused the explosion because "it is very early in the investigation."
Dellemyr later told TV2 that police "have an idea of the cause," adding: "It appears to us that this is an act carried out by someone."
The Norwegian police stated they were searching for one or more suspects, with dogs, drones and helicopters involved in the operation. Investigators were conducting crime-scene examinations and interviewing witnesses.
A bomb squad was deployed to the scene. Police said searches around the embassy found no indications of additional explosive threats.
"Police view such incidents in public spaces as very serious and are investigating the case with substantial resources and high priority," the statement said.
The area around the building was later declared safe for residents and passersby.
Residents near the embassy described hearing the blast.
A 16-year-old identified only as Edvard told TV2 he was watching television when he heard the explosion. "My mother and I first thought it came from our house, so we looked around a little, but then we saw the flashing lights outside the window and a ton of police," he said.
"There were police dogs and drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air," he added.
A group of three friends waiting for a taxi near the embassy said they felt three blasts.
"We felt three 'bangs' that made the ground shake," Kristian Wendelborg Einung told TV2. After getting into their taxi, they drove past the scene and saw the street covered in smoke. "The blanket of smoke was very strange. It was like thick fog," he said.
Police urged the public to report any tips or unusual observations from the area between midnight and 2 a.m.
U.S. embassies have been placed on high alert globally amid American military operations in Iran, with several missions in the Middle East facing drone and missile attacks as Tehran retaliates against industrial and diplomatic targets.
However, Dellemyr said there was no indication the Oslo incident was connected to the conflict. "We're not connecting it to the conflict. It's far too early for that," he told TV2.
Police said they were in contact with embassy officials about the incident.
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