Was the blast that occurred outside the Israeli embassy in the national capital just "a mischievous attempt to create a sensation,'' as the Delhi Police said following initial investigation? Sources say it is being considered as an act of terror.
January 29th marked the 29th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Israel. The ties have strengthened over the past few years, and Israel recently even opened a new consulate in Guwahati for greater engagement with northeast India. Only a few hours earlier, Israeli ambassador to India had tweeted about the anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with "our dear friend India.'' He had said, "May the partnership and friendship continue to grow and reach new heights.'' Besides, just two days ago, on January 27, the world had observed Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The blast was caused by explosives planted inside a bottle, which was hidden in a road divider near the embassy. It went off at 5.05pm. Just a few kilometres away, the Beating Retreat ceremony was on at Rajpath. The embassy is situated on Abdul Kalam Marg. Although no one was hurt, and there are no damages to the embassy building, India's security officials have taken up the matter as high priority, with further security deployed at all Israeli missions in India, including the Chabad House in Mumbai, which was the target of the 26/11 attacks 12 years ago. Airports, too, have been put on high alert.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi a little while ago. He said India took the incident very seriously and assured Israel the fullest protection for its embassy and diplomats. "The matter is under investigation and no effort will be spared to find the culprits,'' he said.
The windshields of three cars parked in the area were damaged due to the explosion. The forensic team has reached the spot to collect evidence.
A statement from the Israel foreign ministry read: "There were no casualties in the blast, and no damage to the building. The incident is under investigation by the authorities in India who are in contact with the relevant Israeli authorities.''
The entire area has been cordoned off, and is teeming with security officials. Traffic restrictions were already in place because of the Beating Retreat ceremony, and the road closure following the blast further caused traffic chaos in the evening rush hour.
The incident brought back memories of a similar blast that occurred in February 2012, when motorcyclists planted an explosive under the car of Israel's defence attaché. Though he was not in the car when the explosion happened, his wife sustained shrapnel injuries. Israel blamed Iran and the Hezbollah for that incident, and the Delhi Police identified an Iran national, Hoshang Irani, as the prime suspect, who had left India after hatching the conspiracy. That incident occurred almost at the same time as another attempt on the Israeli embassy in Georgia, though that attempt was aborted as the bomb did not explode.