Two explosions today in Oslo at a Norwegian government building, one of which has been confirmed by U.S. sources as being a massive vehicle bomb. Also reports of shots being fired at a youth camp outside Oslo.
Initial reports said there was one dead and at least 8 injured but further reports are claiming their were are more than the one dead, the total will not be known until the building is searched.
NYT:
At the site of the explosion, police evacuated and roped off the area as tension mixed with shaken fascination. People milled around the area, some snapping photos of the destruction. Store windows were blown out for several blocks around.
While Norway has seen little political violence in recent years, the country is a member of NATO alliance and has a small fighting contingent in Afghanistan. It was one of several countries cited by Ayman al-Zawahri, the Al Qaeda leader, as potential targets for attack. In 2006, Norwegian newspapers reprinted Danish cartoons that angered Muslims by lampooning the Prophet Muhammad. Norway has also historically been a frequent participant in peacekeeping missions and a host for diplomatic talks, including the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee of the Norwegian parliament.
More at ABC, BBC, and Reuters.
CBS- RE: Youth Camp shooting:
Norway - Police say they are sending anti-terror police to a youth camp outside Oslo after reports of a shooting there following the bomb blast at the government headquarters.
The news site VG reported that a man dressed in a police uniform opened fire at the camp. It says several people were injured.
Oslo police chief Anstein Gjengdal said anti-terror units were being sent to the camp at Utoya, outside the Norwegian capital.
Reuters reports that the shots at the youth camp came from a man dressed as a policeman and at least five people were injured.
[Update] BBC is reporting seven dead from the bombings and unconfirmed reports claim 2 dead from the shootings.
[Update] Instapundit reports that "A terror group, Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (the Helpers of the Global Jihad), issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, according to Will McCants, a terrorism analyst at C.N.A., a research institute that studies terrorism. The message said the attack was a response to Norwegian forces’ presence in Afghanistan and to unspecified insults to the Prophet Muhammad.” Turds."
[Latest update] 92 dead between bombing and shooting and gunman has been apprehended.
Will continue to update when more comes out
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