22 July 2011 Norway attacks
View immediately after the explosion occurred
Oslo Utøya 2011 Norway attacks (Buskerud) Locations of the incidents in the Buskerud district of Norway
Location	Oslo Utøya, Norway
Coordinates	59°54′54″N 10°44′48″E / 59.9149776°N 10.746544°E / 59.9149776; 10.746544 (2011 Oslo explosion)
Date	22 July 2011 (2011-07-22) 15:26 (CEST)
Target	Norwegian goverment
Attack type	Bomb and shooting
Deaths	45
Injured	15+

The 2011 Norway attacks consisted of a bomb explosion that occurred in Regjeringskvartalet, the Government quarter of Oslo, Norway, on 22 July 2011 at 15:26 CEST (13:26 UTC) outside the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other government office buildings^[1] and a subsequent shooting incident on the island of Utøya in Tyrifjorden, Buskerud. A Norwegian man was arrested for the shooting at Utøya.^[2] The international community expressed support for Norway and condemned the attacks.

Oslo explosion

Reports initially suggested that car bombs^[3] exploded outside the office of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other government office buildings such as the Oil Ministry^[3] and Ministry of Finance,^[3] with many windows blown out. There are mixed reports as to whether there might have been several explosions.^[4] Stoltenberg was reported as unharmed in the blast.^[5] Norway’s finance minister, Sigbjørn Johnsen, was on holiday in Denmark at the time. ^[6] The blast was heard at least 7km away.^[3]

The street surrounding the area affected by the explosion was filled with glass and debris following the explosion. The wreckage of a car was sighted near one of the affected buildings. A giant cloud of white smoke was reported as a fire continued to burn in the Oil Ministry. Following the explosion, police cleared the area and searched for any additional explosive devices.^[7] Police urged people to evacuate central Oslo.^[8] The offices of TV 2 were evacuated after a suspicious package was found outside the building.^[9]

Casualties

Seven deaths have been confirmed, with fifteen people injured,^[10][5][11] and eleven badly wounded.^[12] People are still trapped in the buildings affected by the explosion.^[13] A doctor at Oslo University Hospital said that the facility had taken in 11 "heavily injured people" following the blast and that hospital staff were treating injuries to people's head, chest and abdomen.^{[citation needed]}

State Secretary Hans Kristian Amundsen stated fewer people than normal were in the area because of a public holiday.^[5] In July most Norwegians take the summer off work.^[14]

Shooting at Utøya

A man impersonating a police officer fired gunshots at an annual Workers' Youth League (AUF) youth summer camp on the island of Utøya, about 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Oslo. The police believe the two incidents are related to each other.^[5] A Caucasian man, described as "tall and blond,"^[15] and impersonating a police officer, fired gunshots at the campers,^[16][17] killing nine or ten people.^[18] A spokesman for the National Police Directorate under the Ministry of Justice and Police reported that most of the casualties were children of about 15 and 16 years old.^[19] According to NRK, witnesses report the man to have lured the youths into coming closer and then shot them.^[20]

Reports indicate that one person has been arrested and the police later confirmed that the person in question was linked to the bombing in Oslo and that they knew his identity.^[21][22] Acting Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim in Oslo says the shooter had also been spotted in the capital prior to the explosions.^[23] According to Justice Minister Knut Storberget the captured perpetrator is Norwegian, but he refused to answer further questions about his identity or affiliations at this point.^[2]

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was scheduled to visit the camp on 23 July.^[24]

Impact

Transportation

All roads into Oslo downtown area have been closed as security officials have evacuated people from the area and warned Oslo residents to stay away from the city center and limit their usage of mobile phones due to concerns of another potential terrorist attack.^[25] Public transport in and out of the city has also been halted,^[26] with an email communication with the BBC from a traveller indicating that police road checks have commenced on the way to Oslo airport.^[23]

The police are conducting searches on cars at Oslo airport,^[27] while the airport remains open.^[28] All trains have been shut down after a suspicious package was found close to the tracks^[29]

Responsibility

Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami ("the Helpers of the Global Jihad"), a Kurdish militant group that has been tied by U.S. officials to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack.^[30] The New York Times reported that "the message said the attack was a response to Norwegian forces’ presence in Afghanistan and to unspecified insults to the Prophet Muhammad."^[30]

The organisation issued an urgent alert in May 2011 on jihadist forums to all Mujahedeen to mobilise, as Abu Suleiman al-Naser prepared to wage jihad operations against the "Zionist-crusader" alliance. He called for Ghazawat against the United States and their NATO allies. They ordered all Muslims to stay away from institutions, embassies and all American and European places of interests around the world. The publication of a press release from the Mujahedeen^[which?] confirming the death of Osama Bin Laden would be the trigger to start these attacks.^[31] Suleiman later issued a retraction, stating clearly that "helpers" were not involved in the operation and that his statement was not an official statement. He says those who carried out the attacks "must surely be known to all."^[32]

Possibly related events

Reactions

Domestic

• Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Oslo said that "We will find the guilty and hold them responsible" and that "No one will bomb us to silence. No one will shoot us to silence. No one will ever scare us away from being Norway."^[23]

• Minister of Justice Knut Storberget confirmed the suspect arrested at the youth camp in Utøya was indeed Norwegian, and backed Stoltenberg's statement during the Oslo press conference that Norway will not be silenced.^[23]

Supranational

•  European Union President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy described the bomb that hit government buildings in Norway's capital as an act of:

…cowardice. I am deeply shocked by the bomb blasts this afternoon in Oslo which have killed a number of innocent people and left many others injured. I condemn in the strongest terms these acts of cowardice for which there is no justification.^[33]

International

•  Argentina Foreign Minister^[who?] issued his "strongest condemnation" for the attack and also said that "the people and government of Argentina, victim of similar crimes in the past, express their solidarity to the people and government of Norway in reaction of this painful act and unjustifiable loss of human lives."^[34]

•  Bulgaria Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov called the bombing "an unacceptable act", expressed his "deep condolences to the relatives of the victims" and said that "Bulgaria supports its Norwegian partners and friends in this difficult moment".^[35][36]
•  Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he was "shocked and intensely saddened to learn of the attacks in Oslo and Uoeya".^[37]
•  Denmark Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen proclaimed that "We stand with Norway on this day" and offered his compassion, sympathy, and solidarity on behalf of the Danish people.^[38]
•  Finland President of Finland Tarja Halonen expressed her condolences to the state of Norway. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja had also contacted and expressed his condolences to his Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre, saying he was gravely worried of the situation.^[39]
•  France President Nicolas Sarkozy has called the deadly bombing in Oslo an "odious and unacceptable act" of violence. "At this dramatic time, I wish to pass on the profound sympathy of the entire French people for the Norwegian people," he said.^[23]
•  Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted with consternation by that inhuman act. "It's clear that we who believe in democracy and peaceful coexistance have to condemn in strong terms such terrorism, no matter how reasoned." She ensured the families of the victims and injured her deep condolence and added: "The Norwegian Government and the Norwegian people shall know, that the Federal Government and the German people stand at their side." ^[40]
•  Ireland President Mary McAleese and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore expressed solidarity with Norway and extended condolences to the Norwegian people.^[41]
•  Libya At a press conference in Tripoli, Moussa Ibrahim , a spokesman for the Qaddafi government said that "We never support any acts of terrorism whatsoever." But added "NATO is planting terrorism in the hearts of many. This is unfortunate and sad." ^[42]
•  The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the attack in Oslo demonstrates a "total lack of respect for human life." He also said his thoughts are with his Norwegian counterpart Jens Stoltenberg and the Norwegian people.^[43]
•  New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said after a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday that the Norway attacks are an act of global terrorism and that no country is immune from that risk.^[44]
•  Sweden Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that "My deepest condolences for the Norwegian people in this tragedy that happened in Oslo and at the Norwegian Social Democrats' youth camp. My thoughts are with the families of victims and the injured.^[45] Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt said that "I immediately had contact with my Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre to express our deep sympathy to all those affected and to provide any assistance such as may be required." Bildt later posted on Twitter that "terrorism has struck. Police confirms bomb in Oslo. We are all Norwegians."^[46]
•  United Arab Emirates Emirati Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan condemned the attacks stating "The UAE condemns in the strongest possible terms these terrible, appalling crimes and expresses its full solidarity and standing with the Government of Norway in confronting these criminal acts." ^[47]
•  United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the U.K. stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Norway following the attack. He also said that "I send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost relatives or been injured."^[48]
•  United States President Barack Obama said: "Our hearts" go out to the people of Norway and offered American assistance in the investigation of the attacks. He also added that "It’s a reminder that the entire community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring," along with mentioning that events in Oslo are a reminder that the world has a role in stopping acts of terrorism, AP says.^[49][23]

Financial markets

The krone weakened against the US dollar by 1% and 0.4% against the euro, where the OBX Index showed a loss of 0.4% before reaching previous levels at closing time.^[50]

Oil prices continued to gain after the bombing because, as an analyst at PFGBest futures brokerage stated, that the events in Oslo create uncertainty.^[51]

Gold prices spiked immediately after news of the bombing, with concerns of future attacks driving gold back above the $1,600 mark.^[52]

See also

• Oklahoma City bombing
• 2010 Stockholm bombings
• 2006 Prague terror plot

References

External links

• Stor eksplosjon i Oslo sentrum, Aftenposten, News report in Norwegian, with pictures.
• Allvarligt bombattentat skakar Oslo, Sveriges Radio, News report in Swedish, with pictures.
• LIVE: Oslo explosion, BBC News, live news broadcast on the bombing in Oslo.