Islamic terrorist attack : Blast in Israeli Embassy car in Delhi, 4 injured

NEW DELHI : A car belonging to the Israeli Embassy caught fire after an explosion in Delhi’s Tughlak Road on Monday injuring four people. An Israeli Embassy spokesman said that the car was near the embassy when the incident occurred and added that one of those injured was a woman diplomat.

The driver of the Innova car with the diplomatic number plate 109 CD 35 and two others have also been injured.

The woman reported to be injured in the blast is the wife of Israel’s defence attache. The Israeli Foreign Ministry told CNN-IBN that they were treating the blast as a terror attack.

Investigators are looking for two young men on a motorcycle, who were spotted near the car just before it caught fire. Some eyewitnesses claimed that the men threw something at the Innova car following which there was a minor explosion.

The explosion was reportedly heard by some Special Protection Group officials posted in the area, which is a high-security zone and has embassies of many other countries and the residences of important leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A team from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory is at the spot to investigate. Police is also checking the cause of the fire and also investigating if the fire was the result of a blast.

Doctor at Primus Hospital, where the diplomat’s wife, Til Yehoshua, has been admitted, said she had sustained shrapnel injuries. Doctors are planning to operate upon her.

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said, “It was an unfortunate incident. A Israeli member of staff in Delhi has been injured in the incident, we are investigating the incident, India condemn such incident and culprit will be brought to book. I spoke to Israeli foreign minister and told him that law will take its course and investigation is on.”

Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta said that four people have been injured in the blast. “The damage is on the rear. Bike borne attacker are behind it. Three person have superficial injury. But the lady is seriously injured. They were going to pick up their children when the blast occurred. The statement of the lady victim could not be taken.”

Gupta said that the Special Cell of the Delhi police will conduct the investigation. “It may have been some kind of magnetic device which was used to trigger the blast. There was a mild explosion and car got fire.”

The police commissioner, however, refused to comment that it was a terror attack but confirmed that the car was the target.

Medical Superintendent of Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, Dr TS Sidhu, said “three persons with splinter injuries have been brought. They will be discharged soon”.

They were identified as Manoj Sharma (40), driver of the mission vehicle, Arun Sharma (40) and Manjeet Singh (75), who were travelling in a different car near the mission vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Centre ordered tightening of security in diplomatic missions, especially of Israel, the United States and other western countries, located across the country.

Security establishments in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have been alerted by the Centre and directed to beef up arrangements in diplomatic mission premises located in these cities to foil any attempt to target them, official sources said.

Police forces of these cities have been asked to deploy additional personnel around the missions and review their security. They also have been told to strictly check every vehicle and person visiting the missions as part of the security drill.

Police have begun putting up check posts at different sensitive locations in the vicinity of the missions to regulate traffic and check suspicious movement, the sources said.

Israeli missions around the world have been put on high alert.

Sources say that February 12 was the death anniversary of a senior Hezbollah leader, and the two attempts may not be entirely coincidental.

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