NEW DELHI: An emergency call regarding an explosion near the Embassy of Israel here on Tuesday evening sent the security agencies into a tizzy. After hours of search operations to find traces of the explosive, sources claimed they did not find anything suspicious except for a typed letter that was addressed to the Israeli ambassador.
While officials declined comment on the contents of the letter, reports suggested its language was abusive. A security guard who witnessed the incident claimed he heard a loud sound and saw smoke coming up from the top of a tree. “This happened around 5 pm. I was on my duty and heard a loud sound. When I came out, I saw smoke coming from the top of a tree, that’s all I saw...Police have taken my statement...,” the security guard told reporters.
As per the eyewitness, the explosion took place on a vacant land in front of Central training Hindi Institute and behind the Israeli embassy. A Delhi Fire Service official, while speaking to this newspaper, said they received a call regarding a blast near the Israel mission around 5.45 pm.
As the incident took place at a very high security zone that houses embassies of multiple countries, several teams of Delhi Police and Bomb Disposal Squad were quick to reach the spot. The anti-terror unit of the Delhi Police — Special Cell — was also deployed.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israel embassy, Ohad Nakash Kaynar, put out a video message saying an explosion had occurred in close proximity to the embassy. “All workers are safe, all diplomats are safe, our security teams are working in full cooperation with local Delhi security,” he said.
Past incidents
In January 2021, a low-intensity blast occurred near the Israel embassy, damaging a few cars. It left a crater on the road. In February 2012, a bomb was planted under an Israeli embassy car in which a diplomat’s wife was injured