90 Killed in Shooting Spree and Explosion in Norway [Update]

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Update [2011-07-23 01:05 AM EST by Oui]:

Death Toll Hits 80 85 in Island Massacre

Norway ’s worst catastrophe since World War II continued to deepen during the night, when the director of the state police announced that at least 80 persons were killed in a massacre [shocking photo’s] at the Labour Party’s annual summer camp. Øystein Mæland also warned that more bodies could be discovered at the site.

Survivors of Friday’s terror on Utøya told gripping tales of how campers approached suspected gunman Anders Behring Breivik, thinking he came from the police as a safety measure after the bombing in the Oslo, only to experience that he shot them in cold blood. One young man told newspaper VG that he saw a girl shot in the head. Others ran for their lives, seeking refuge behind rocks or trees as the gunman continued his shooting spree around the small island in the Tyri Fjord.

Breivik, arrested by police and charged with the shootings, was described as a 32-year-old member of the Free Masons and a right-wing extremist who hates Muslims.

Breivik had been observed in downtown Oslo just before a powerful bomb exploded in the heart of the government complex, killing at least seven others, injuring several more and causing widespread damage to government ministries and surrounding property. Police quickly linked the two incidents.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who has spent every summer on Utøya since the early 1970s, was informed of the skyrocketing death toll, up from 10 a few hours earlier, and said he was deeply saddened and shaken. The AUF summer camp attracts some of the brightest and most ambitious members of the Labour Party’s next generation, so the massacre means a huge loss to the party’s future.

Anders B. Breivik Twitter Account Found

Anders Behring Breivik (32) in Oslo was arrested after the bombing and mass killing

The 32-year-old created a company in eastern Norway in 2009, that would engage in the cultivation of vegetables, melons, roots and tubers, which means that he may have had access to fertilizer – a well known ingredient in the manufacture of a bomb.

Masonic and conservative

Breivik listed in their Facebook profile as a conservative and Christian, and he may have a connection to the extreme right environment. He is also listed as a member of the John lodge pillars in TV2’s overview of the Masonic lodge.

Armed police made late Friday night, a raid on a house west of Oslo.

LATEST NEWS: seven killed in explosion and 4 killed in seperate shooting incident …
Norway hit by coordinated bomb and shooting attacks – LIVE coverage The Guardian

Oslo explosion: one dead, dozens injured and buildings damaged after Norway city blast

(Telegraph.uk) – A powerful explosion, believed to be caused by a bomb, rocked central Oslo shortly before 3.30 on Friday afternoon, causing extensive damage to government offices, killing at least one person and injuring numerous more.

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A large yellow cloud of smoke rose from the area after the blast, which shook downtown buildings, and caused widespread panic in the streets.

The offices of VG, Norway’s largest newspaper, also appeared to be severely hit.

NATO member Norway has sometimes in the past been threatened by leaders of Al Qaeda for its involvement in Afghanistan. It has also taken part the NATO bombing of Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to strike back in Europe. However, political violence is virtually unknown in the country.

Norway welcomes bin Laden death

Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre has hailed the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden as “a pleasing breakthrough in the fight against terror,” while Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg warned that “the fight against terrorism is not over.”

Speaking to news agency NTB, Støre said, “I praise the American action that led to the deadly attack against Osama bin Laden,” who had “finally been held responsible” after masterminding “one of the worst terror incidents of our time.” Støre went on to say that “his death will weaken the terror network al-Qaida.” .

Prime Minister Stoltenberg nonetheless warned of the continued problems of terrorism, speaking of “a common responsibility to fight international terrorism.” Støre too warned that “the threat from al-Qaida remains.”

Foreign minister Støre also confirmed that there would be no consequences from the death of bin Laden for Norway’s continued presence in Afghanistan. Afghanistan “is an engagement that came after September 11, with the intention of giving Afghanistan a new future,” Støre said.