Norway Closes Part of Its Airspace Due to Terrorist Attack Threat

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Norway Closes Part of Its Airspace Due to Terrorist Attack Threat - Report

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 28.07.2014

Norwegian authorities made a decision to close part of its airspace over the city of Bergen and increased border control due to the threat of terrorist attacks, Agence France Presse reported on Saturday.

“Police have requested Avinor [Norway's state-owned airport operator] to ban flights over central Bergen. The reason is the increased threat situation we have had since Thursday,” Gustav Landro, chief of staff at the Hordaland county police department said.

Earlier on Thursday, Norway’s special services received information about a possible terrorist attack that might be carried out in the country within days.

According to Norwegian police, the airspace ban only referred to private planes and recreational flights. Authorities also announced that passports of all tourists entering the country will be checked as part of the high security alert.

Norway is a member of the Schengen area, where passport control on the border was abolished.

«But this time, we will be more prepared than ever to handle the situation if it occurs," Odd Reidar Humlegaard, head of the police directorate, said at a press conference, possibly referring to the deadly attacks carried out by Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik in 2011, when 77 people were killed in bombing and shooting. Country’s police and security services were then strongly criticized for their inability to prevent the massacre.

Earlier on Friday, the Oslo Jewish Museum announced that it will be closed from Friday until Sunday in order to prevent possible attacks similar to the one that was conducted by French-Algerian Islamist in Brussels’ Jewish Museum in May, when four people were killed.

On Thursday, Norwegian special services warned the citizens about a possible terrorist act and called on them to be “on high alert”. While it is yet unknown who can be the perpetrator or the target of the attack, there were reports that extremists from Syria could be involved.

Topics: Security, Europe

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