Armed police operation near Trondheim synagogue, no threat confirmed

Norwegian police deployed heavy resources to a synagogue in Trondheim on Thursday evening following reports of suspicious activity, but authorities confirmed there was no threat to the site, Dagbladet reports.

Bente Bøklepp, prosecuting authority for Trøndelag police district, stated in a press release: “Nothing indicates that tonight’s incident is connected to the synagogue or the current security situation.”

A person was detained shortly before 7:30 PM and is now charged with violating traffic laws and vehicle theft. “We will question the suspect as soon as possible,” Bøklepp added.

Operation commander Karl Småland told NTB that two individuals fled the scene in a car, with one later abandoning the vehicle. A 30-minute pursuit ended when police deployed a spike strip to stop the car. “The vehicle fled from patrol units at high speed, showing extreme risk-taking,” Småland said.

Police initially cordoned off a large area near the synagogue but later removed all barriers. The operation followed heightened security alerts after the March 8 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. Authorities acknowledged public concern but stressed the situation was under control.

“We understand people may worry when incidents involve the synagogue, but we want to reassure residents that the situation is safe in central Trondheim,” Bøklepp said.

Witnesses reported seeing multiple police vehicles and armed officers near the synagogue around 5:45 PM. A police drone was also deployed during the operation.