Security concerns are mounting across Europe following two separate explosive incidents that rocked Belgium and Norway over the weekend, with authorities treating both as potential acts of terrorism.
In Belgium, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin condemned Monday an overnight explosion that occurred outside a synagogue in Liege as “a despicable antisemitic act” while federal investigators launched a probe into the incident.
Authorities in Liege reported the detonation took place during the early morning hours on Monday near the religious building. While no injuries occurred, the blast shattered windows in a structure facing the synagogue.
Investigators cordoned off the surrounding area as they searched for evidence, according to an official statement.
“The explosion in front of the Liege synagogue was a despicable antisemitic act that directly targeted the Jewish community of Belgium,” Quintin wrote on X. “Security around similar sites will continue to be strengthened.” The minister did not connect the incident to the ongoing Iran conflict.
Multiple European nations including Belgium, France and Germany have announced plans to increase security measures in response to Middle Eastern hostilities, while emphasizing they remain uninvolved in active combat alongside the United States and Israel.
Belgium’s transportation chief has called for enhanced protection of the country’s railway system.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office announced Monday it was assuming control of the investigation “given the possible indications of a terrorist offense.” Officials provided no additional details about the explosion or potential suspects.
In a separate incident, Norwegian authorities in Oslo reported they are examining security footage while searching for whoever detonated an explosive device outside the American Embassy early Sunday.
Law enforcement released surveillance images showing an individual dressed in dark clothing and carrying a backpack, with their face concealed. The suspect remains unidentified, police stated.
Oslo officers responded to reports of a “loud bang” or explosion near the US Embassy around 1 a.m. Sunday. No casualties were reported, though the embassy’s entrance sustained damage, officials confirmed.
“We are early in the investigation, but we are working based on multiple hypotheses,” said Frode Larsen, who leads Oslo police’s joint investigation and intelligence unit, in a Sunday statement. “Given the current security situation, it is natural to consider whether this was a targeted attack on the American Embassy. However, we have not committed to any single hypothesis.”
On Monday, investigators determined an improvised explosive device had been positioned near the embassy’s entrance area.
Police also said they were examining a video uploaded to Google Maps around the time of the blast. Norwegian media outlet NRK previously reported the video, which appeared at the embassy’s location on the mapping platform, featured Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
