Armed police action at Torp Airport – still unresolved

Police car machete Dead woman Torp AirportPolice car.Photo: Norway Today Media.

Armed police action at Torp Airport – still unresolved

All operative police officers in Vestfold have been deployed, and all national support units are called out to Torp Airport at Sandefjord. The reason for the action is still not known.

 

A witness stopped at the train station at Torp earlier Friday is still interrogated by the police. The police hope that this person can provide more details about the information the police received on Friday morning, which caused the extensive police action at Torp airport to be implemented.

– We are checking out what they have explained, and when that information is obtained, staff will assess whether there is any basis for continued heightened preparedness or whether we will take other measures. That’s what we are waiting for now, but it may take time, says Police Chief in Sandefjord, Brian Jacobsen to NTB.

He stated at 7 pm on Friday that the heightened preparedness is unchanged from earlier in the day.

Sharp Shooters and bomb group

By 3 pm on Friday it became known that police in Vestfold had been told to stay at work so far. How many Officers present at Torp is however unknown.

– There are many who should have left work by now. We keep the resources available, but I can not provide any numbers. It’s not uncommon that we do so, says communications adviser, Torgny Alstad to Tønsbergs Blad.

According to several media, sharp shooters have been observed on the roof of the airport and armed police are posted at all entrances and exits. Pictures from TV 2 show that there are also armed police at the check-in counters and elsewhere inside the airport itself, and according to  VG Police check points starts several kilometers from the airport.

Southeastern police district has also requested assistance from all the national assistance units in Oslo, including the bomb group, emergency response and the police helicopter service. It is unclear whether they have arrived at Torp, but according to the Oslo police they are sent out of the capital.

-They are not here as far I can observe. But they may have come, it’s an assessment they make by themselves. But we do not need them in action, we have secured the airport well using local crew, and the public is most welcome here, says Jacobsen.

Reluctant

The police are reluctant to say what is the cause of the massive use of police officers, ambulances, fire brigades and airport assistance units.

The police have so far only confirmed that there is an ongoing situation, but that the airport is in normal operation. They also emphasize that there is no concrete threat to the airport.

Instead, the police announce that the action is based on information obtained on Friday morning.

– There was information that made it necessary to carry out preventive measures at the airport, says a police press release at 5 pm

PST tells VG that they are routinely oriented about the situation, but they refer to the local police when it comes to questions about what happens at Torp.

 

NTB Scanpix / Norway Today