Three brothers in their 20s have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist bombing after the explosion at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo on Sunday night. During questioning on Wednesday evening, one of them confessed to planting the bomb, but claimed he acted alone. Meanwhile, the police continue investigating the motive and whether more people may have been involved.
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Norwegian police announced that three people had been arrested following the explosion at the American embassy. This was reported by several Norwegian media outlets.
“Police have today arrested three brothers living in Oslo, all of whom are now suspected of violating Section 138 of the Penal Code. It’s a matter of terrorist bombing,” said police prosecutor Christian Hatlo.
The brothers were questioned later in the evening. Around 9 p.m., attorney Øystein Storrvik stated that his client had admitted to planting the bomb.
“We have been in interrogation this evening, and he confirms that he placed the bomb at the site and ties himself to the location in that way,” Storrvik told NRK.
According to the lawyer, the questioning mainly concerned the sequence of events, and many questions still remain.
Confesses – claims he acted alone
Storrvik states that his client claims he carried out the act without help.
“My client has, in any case, said that he did it alone,” said the lawyer.
The defense attorney for one of the other brothers, Frode Sulland, says, however, that his client does not understand the suspicions against him.
“My client cannot understand the accusations against him,” said Sulland.
It is still unclear how the third brother responds to the suspicions.
Storrvik also says that, according to his client, the act is linked to the war in the Middle East.
“One understands that it has to do with the circumstances there and the situation in the region. It is connected to that.”
Iraqi men in their 20s
According to police, the brothers are in their 20s and were arrested in Oslo on Wednesday. They are Norwegian citizens of Iraqi origin and have not previously been known to the police.
“We believe that one of them is the person previously wanted in the media. We still maintain that it was one person who approached the embassy, while the others may have contributed in various ways,” said Hatlo.
Justice Minister Astri Aas Hansen commented on the incident and emphasized the seriousness of the charges.
“The fact that the three arrested are suspected under section 138 of the Penal Code regarding terrorist bombing makes the case particularly serious.”
Police investigating motive
Investigators are now working to clarify the motive, identify any accomplices, and determine whether the attack may have been ordered by someone else.
“One of the hypotheses is whether this could have been ordered by a state actor,” said Hatlo.
He referred to the fact that it was the U.S. Embassy that was attacked as well as to the :censored:6:cdd6bbaa89: security situation. The name of the suspected state was not mentioned, but the U.S. has recently conducted bombings against Iran.
Possible link to criminal network in Sweden
Swedish authorities are investigating information that the immigrant criminal network Foxtrot, led by Rawa “The Kurdish Fox” Majid, who is evading Swedish justice abroad, may be connected to the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. Intelligence received by Swedish authorities suggests the network has in some cases been contracted to carry out violent missions against Israeli, Jewish, and American interests – but also against Iranian regime critics.
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The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) confirms that there is a threat against people in Sweden perceived as opponents of the Iranian regime. According to Säpo, foreign actors may at times use criminal networks to carry out attacks or other violent acts.
Previous investigations have also linked the Foxtrot network to several attacks and planned attacks against Israeli targets in Europe, including embassies in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Brussels, as well as an Israeli defense company in Gothenburg. Swedish police are also investigating reports that violent assignments may have been arranged via encrypted messaging services.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) describes the situation as very serious and warns that state actors may try to exploit criminal networks in Sweden to carry out politically motivated attacks.
More arrests not ruled out
Hatlo says the police are working broadly and do not rule out further arrests. The three suspects are expected to be remanded in custody.
The explosion was caused by a powerful explosive device that is now being analyzed.
“It is assessed to be very powerful. It is currently under investigation,” said Hatlo.
He explains that the limited damage was due to the embassy being very well protected.
Police are cooperating with, among others, Interpol and the FBI, and are in close contact with the Norwegian security service PST.
“PST is continuously assessing whether there is a further risk of new attacks in Norway after the attack on the American embassy,” said communications adviser Eirik Veum.
Forensic investigators searched residence
On Wednesday evening, forensic investigators worked in a residence where the brothers were arrested. Equipment used for handling explosives was removed from the scene.
A neighbor reports having seen several unmarked police cars and several armed officers enter a nearby building.
“I saw two unmarked patrol cars and about six police officers fully equipped with weapons and helmets entering the neighboring house,” he said.
However, he did not witness the actual arrests.
“It was very frightening. I was completely stunned when I saw them running out with weapons.”
Explosion at the embassy
The police received the alert about the explosion at 01:03 a.m. on Sunday night. No one was injured, but the incident is considered very serious.
The investigation shows that an improvised explosive device, an IED, was placed at the embassy’s entrance. Police have secured several video recordings from the area.
Earlier in the week, police had released images of a suspected perpetrator.
Political reaction
The Progress Party’s leader Sylvi Listhaug said she is relieved that suspects have now been arrested.
“It is very good that the police have finally caught the perpetrators. At the same time, it is frightening that the police assess the case as terrorist bombing with intent to kill or cause major damage to property. It is important that the investigation continues to find out whether there are links to Iran’s terror regime or other criminal networks,” Listhaug wrote in a comment.