Youth known to intelligence agencies detained on suspicion of handling explosives, Norway’s security service says

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with an explosive device found near a busy subway station in Oslo and defused before it detonated, Norway’s security service has said.

Signe Aaling, chief prosecutor with the PST security service, said on Sunday that the youth had been detained on suspicion of handling explosives.

The security service head, Benedicte Bjornland, said it was unclear if the teen had plans to carry out an attack with the homemade device.

Norway: 'bomb-like device' destroyed in central Oslo Read more

The youth was not identified but Bjornland said intelligence agencies had been aware of him. He was an asylum seeker from Russia who arrived in Norway in 2010.

Norwegian police carried out a controlled explosion of the “bomb-like device” in central Oslo on Sunday. Media at the scene described a loud bang shortly after the bomb squad arrived with a remote-controlled robot. The area had been cordoned off on Saturday night.

“The noise from the blast was louder than our explosives themselves would cause,” a police spokesman said, adding that further investigation was needed to find out if the device had contained explosives.

The device, measuring about 1ft (30cm) across, appeared to be capable of causing only a limited amount of damage. Forensic experts will examine fragments to figure out what it was.

Police have been on heightened alert since a truck ploughed into a crowd in Stockholm on Friday. Four people were killed and 15 injured in what police called an apparent terrorist attack.