Since October 8, Norwegian officers have been armed on daily duty, but this will end at 3pm on Friday.
This is written by the Norwegian news agency NTB.
Authorities in Norway on Thursday lowered the terrorist threat level from high to moderate – level three out of five.
After the updated threat assessment, there is no longer a need to be armed on daily duty, it says.
Firearms are not standard equipment for the Norwegian officers. However, the police can continue to arm themselves when there is a need for it – as before, writes NTB.
In October, the threat level was raised, but now it has been lowered again.
– First and foremost, Iran-linked actors with a focus on Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe represented a new and unresolved element in the Norwegian terrorist threat picture, PST wrote on Thursday.
But on Thursday there had been “sufficient clarifications of the worrying development”, the security service said.
However, the fact that the level has been lowered does not mean that there is no threat, the Norwegian police emphasises.
– The police will continue to prioritize preventive and safety-creating measures, says director of emergencies in the Police Directorate Tone Vangen in a press release according to NTB.
– Even if the threat level is lowered, we are still in a situation with a heightened threat. The international situation and conflicts mean that we must continue to be prepared to adjust measures in a short time, he continues.
When Norway sets the threat level to three out of five – the new level – it means that the assessment is that “one or more persons have an intention to carry out terrorist attacks, but without having taken concrete steps or having realistic plans, and/ or that any circumstances increase the terrorist threat”.
The definition of threat level four out of five – the old assessment – is that the security service assesses that “one or more persons have concrete and realistic plans and are taking concrete steps to carry out terrorist attacks, and/or that several conditions increase the terrorist threat”.
In Denmark, the Norwegian Police Intelligence Service assesses that the terrorist threat is serious – level four out of five.
It is defined as “there is a recognized threat. There is capacity, intent and planning”.
/ritzau/
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
