Man arrested after killing several people with bow in Norway

Five people were killed and two wounded in an attack by a man using a bow and arrows in the southeastern town of Kongsberg in Norway on Wednesday, police said.

Some Norwegian media outlets well as source close to the rescue services had earlier said that at least four people were killed. A man has been arrested over the attack, but his motive is not yet known.

"We can unfortunately confirm that there are several injured and also unfortunately several killed in this episode," local police official Oyvind Aas told a news conference.

"The man who committed this act has been arrested by the police and, according to our information, there is only one person involved."

The motive for the attack, which took place in several locations in the town centre of Kongsberg at around 6:30 pm (1600 GMT), was not yet known.

Police said the suspect had been taken to a police station in the nearby town of Drammen but gave no other details about the man.

"There is no active search for other people," Aas said.

The TV2 station reported that the man also had a knife or other weapons.

The wounded have been taken to hospital. However, police have not said how many people were hurt or given details of their condition.

ARROW STICKING IN WALL

Police urged the public to stay at home and several neighbourhoods were cordoned off, with television footage showing ambulances and armed police in the area.

A helicopter and bomb disposal team were also sent to the scene.

The website of public broadcaster NRK published an image sent by a witness of a black arrow sticking out of a wall.

Police were expected to hold another press conference at 10 pm.

Norway has traditionally been a peaceful nation but has suffered far-right attacks.

Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik carried out twin attacks that killed 77 people on July 22, 2011.

Breivik first set off a bomb in the capital Oslo next to the building that housed the office of the prime minister, then went on a shooting spree at a summer camp for left-wing youths on the island of Utoya.

In August 2019, self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Philip Manshaus opened fire into a mosque on the outskirts of Oslo before being overpowered by worshippers, with no one being seriously injured.

However, he had earlier shot dead his step-sister, who had been adopted from China, in what prosecutors termed a "racist act".

Several planned extremist attacks have also been foiled by security services.