Norway Warns Of 'Concrete' Terror Threat

Norway has warned of a "concrete terror threat" from people with links to Syrian fighters, with an attack possible "within days".

Benedicte Bjoernland, the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), said her agency had received "reliable information" from foreign officials.

"It was unspecific about what the target might be," she said, adding there was no information about how or when an attack might take place.

The PST said officials would work closely with counter-terrorism teams to verify the information and establish whether any extra security is needed.

About 50 people have travelled from Norway to fight in Syria, around half of whom have now returned, according to the agency.

The risks posed by fighters trained in Syria were previously highlighted by Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, who warned there are "several thousand Islamist extremists (in Britain) who see the British people as a legitimate target".

Only last week, Syrian President Bashar al Assad warned : "Soon we will see Arab, regional and western countries paying a high price for supporting terror."

The Norwegian alert comes almost exactly three years after terrorist Anders Breivik carried out two attacks in Norway.

On 22 July, 2011, a car bomb exploded in Oslo's government district, killing eight people.

Later that day, Breivik boarded a boat to Utoya and opened fire at the Norwegian Labour party's youth camp, leaving 69 people dead.

The 35-year-old was jailed for 21 years for the twin attacks.

Earlier this year, he complained of "torture"-like conditions in the two prisons where he is being held.

He threatened to go on hunger strike unless authorities met his demands, which included a more up-to-date games console, a computer and a sofa or armchair.