A low-intensity explosion took place near the Israeli embassy in Delhi on Tuesday evening, Deputy Ambassador of Israel to India, Ohad Nakash Kaynar said, reported ANI.
No one was injured in the blast, which took place on the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road.
The Delhi Police found shrapnel and ball bearings from the spot, reported The Indian Express.
“At 5.53 pm, a PCR [Police Control Room] call conveying the information that a ‘loud sound was heard behind the Israel Embassy, Jindal House’, was received,” Delhi Police spokesperson Kumar Gyanesh said. “Considering the sensitivity of the location and mention of explosion-type sound, senior officers rushed to the location.”
The blast was first reported by an on-duty police official, who heard an explosion behind the embassy complex.
“The dog squad, crime team and BDS [Bomb Disposal Squad] team of Delhi Police reached the spot, where the alleged sound of the explosion was reported to have been heard,” the spokesperson said. “Soon, experts from FSL [Forensic Science Laboratory], Delhi also reached the area was cordoned off and subjected to thorough search.”
The police also found an “abusive” threat letter outside the Central Hindi Training Institute located near the embassy, reported The Indian Express. The letter, addressed to the Israeli ambassador, was reportedly written by a previously unknown group named Sir Allah Resistance.
“We can confirm that around 5.48 pm, there was a blast in close proximity to the embassy,” Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir said, reported PTI. “Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation.”
Confirming that a blast occurred near the embassy at around 5.40 pm on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Israeli mission in India, Guy Nir, said that the Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation.
The police have beefed up security across Delhi and have also put areas around the Israel embassy and Jewish establishments under vigil, reported PTI.
The blast is also being investigated by the National Investigation Agency, reported NDTV. The agency, accompanied by the National Security Guard commandos, collected samples of grass and leaves from the spot on Tuesday.
Following the incident, the National Security Council of Israel urged its citizens in India to avoid going to crowded places like shopping malls and markets and places identified as serving people from western countries, Jews and Israelis. The advisory has also urged Israeli citizens to be alert in public places.
The advisory has also asked Israelis in India to avoid openly displaying Israeli symbols, refrain from attending large-scale events, and avoid sharing their itineraries on social media as well as photographs and details of visits in real-time.
In January 2021, a similar blast had taken place near the Israeli embassy in Delhi. No injuries or damage to personal properties were reported, except for shattered windscreens of cars parked nearby.
The blast on Tuesday took place amid Israel’s war on Gaza that entered its 12th week. Several international organisations and countries have been urging the West Asian country to halt its military operation in Gaza that has killed over 20,000 Palestinians.
The war was triggered by the attack on southern Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas that killed 1,200 people. The militant group had also taken more than 200 hostages.
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