By Salim Yunusa
Several people have been killed and others injured in Norway after a man used a bow and arrow to attack them.
Police first received word of an attack in the town of Kongsberg, south-west of the capital Oslo, at around 18:13 local time (16:13 GMT).
Chief Oeyvind Aas said a suspect had been caught and seemed to have acted alone.
Officers would not confirm the number of casualties but local media reported at least four were killed.
Police will investigate whether it was an act of terror, a spokesman said.
“It is a tragedy for all those affected,” Mayor Kari Anne Sand told VG newspaper. “I have no words.”
Media reports say the attacker opened fire inside a Coop Extra supermarket on Kongsberg’s west side. There was reportedly a confrontation between the attacker and the police before he was eventually detained at 18:47 local time.
The suspect moved over a large area, and authorities have cordoned off several parts of the town. Residents were ordered to stay indoors so authorities could examine the scene and gather evidence.
The suspect has now been taken to a police station in the town of Drammen. He has yet to be questioned.
Dozens of emergency vehicles are at the scene, including ambulances, police cars and helicopters.
Norway’s Justice Minister Monica Maeland has been informed and is closely monitoring the situation, the ministry tweeted.
The country’s police directorate has ordered all officers nationwide to carry firearms as an extra precaution. Usually police in the country are not armed.
(BBC)
