Norway police
Norway policeiStock

The killings of five people in Norway by a man armed with a bow and arrows "appears to be an act of terrorism", the country's security agency said on Thursday, according to a report in Sky News.

Local police revealed the attacker broke into some of his victims' homes and killed them there, with people seemingly randomly targeted.

"The dead were found outside and were found inside the residential house," police lawyer Ann Iren Svane Mathiassen was quoted as having told state broadcaster NRK.

"We have information that the perpetrator entered homes where he committed murder."

Asked if he knew the victims, she said, "According to the information we have, and the way we perceive the case, these are completely random victims."

Four women and one man were killed during the rampage in the town of Kongsberg. Three people were injured, among them a police officer.

Earlier on Thursday, police chief Ole Bredrup Sæverud said that the terrorist had converted to Islam and was previously known to the police.

The suspect is a 37-year-old Danish citizen who was living in Norway, and is believed to have acted alone, CNN reported.

A statement issued by PST, Norway's security service, said, "The incidents in Kongsberg appear at the moment to be an act of terrorism, but the investigation, which is led by the South-East police district, will clarify in more detail what the incidents were motivated by."

It said the terrorism threat in Norway had not changed from "moderate".

"At the same time, PST is working to investigate whether what has happened could inspire others to commit serious acts of violence, in the form of follow-up actions, revenge actions and more," the statement said, before adding that the service "does not currently have information that that is the case," the statement said.