Blast Near Israel Embassy: NIA, NSG Teams in Action After 'Abusive' Letter to Envoy Over Gaza

A mysterious explosion reportedly took place behind the Israel embassy in central Delhi, swinging the intelligence agencies and Delhi police into action. While there were no casualties, a letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was seized from the spot threatening retaliation and revenge.

“It had phrases like resistance to Zionists and references to Palestine and Gaza,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying by Times of India.

The report further quoted an embassy spokesperson as confirming that there was a blast at close proximity to the embassy on Tuesday evening. “The Delhi police and the security team are investigating,” the spokesperson said.

“The forensic experts have examined the spot, lifted exhibits that may have evidentiary relevance and they have been sent for examination,” a Delhi Police statement read.

News agency ANI quoted its sources as saying that police have found two suspects after examining the CCTV footage. Officers are now scanning CCTV visuals and trying to find out how the two suspects reached there and which route they took, the sources were quoted.

By Wednesday morning, forensic and NIA teams along with dog squad of the NSG arrived at the spot to carry out investigation.

TOI stated that the low-intensity blast came a day after the assassination of Brigadier General Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a senior functionary of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in Damascus but police here didn’t draw a correlation between the two.

Mousavi was a close aide of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the guards’ elite Quds Force, who was killed in a US drone attack in Iraq in 2020.

Though an explosive device or IED has not been seized, it is being probed if it could be a chemically triggered low-intensity explosion. In 2012, an Iranian bomber had used a ‘magnetic stick device’ on a Israeli diplomat’s vehicle to cause an explosion, the report further mentioned.

TOI quoted a police spokesperson as saying, “On Tuesday, at 1753 hrs, a PCR call was re ceived conveying the information that a loud noise was heard behind the Israel embassy/Jindal house. Considering the sensitivity of the location and mention of explosion type sound, senior officers rushed to the location.”

“In close follow-up, dog squad, crime team and bomb detection team of Delhi Police reached the spot where the alleged sound of the explosion was reported to have been heard. The area was cordoned off and subjected to thorough search. Further enquiry is in progress,” the spokesperson had said.

Israel Issues Travel Warning for India

On Tuesday, the Israeli National Security Council had issued a travel advisory for its citizens in India, suspecting that an explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi was “a possible terror attack”.

The recommendations of the Israeli National Security Council (NSC), which come amid concerns of a “recurrence of events”, apply especially to New Delhi.

Israeli nationals have been warned to try to avoid going to crowded places (malls and markets) and places identified as serving Westerners/Jews and Israelis.

They have also been urged to be on heightened alert in public places (including restaurants, hotels, pubs, etc).

The recommendations also suggest avoiding openly displaying Israeli symbols, refraining from attending unsecured large-scale events, and avoiding publicising itineraries on social media as well as photographs and details of visits in real-time.