Explosion near Israeli embassy: CCTV footage directs Delhi police towards 2 ‘suspects’

Israeli National Security Council has said that the explosion that took place near Israel’s embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday (Dec 27) was a “possible terror attack”. In the wake of the attack, the council in a travel advisory prompted its citizens living in India to exercise caution.

The blast occurred close to the embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave. Israeli nationals have been cautioned to steer clear of crowded places, including malls and markets.

Moreover, Israel also urged its citizens here to remain alert while visiting places serving Westerners, Jews, and Israelis.

Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir reportedly confirmed the incident, stating that the blast occurred close to the embassy at around 5:48 pm. Nir added that the matter is being looked into. 

“Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation,” the official reportedly said. 

The NSC’s recommendations also included increasing vigilance in public spaces. It urged citizens to avoid displaying Israeli symbols openly and refrain from attending unsecured large-scale events. Moreover, it also urged the citizens to avoid real-time sharing of their itineraries on social media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry reported no casualties in Tuesday’s incident.

“The incident is under investigation by the local authorities in full cooperation with the Israeli security forces”, the ministry said in a statement. 

Following the attack close to the Israeli mission in the Indian capital, the Delhi Police, bomb disposal squads, and fire departments conducted an extensive search operation in the area, with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also examining the site.

As the probe into the matter continues, Delhi police post looking at the CCTV footage directed them towards two ‘suspects’, identification of those is yet to be ascertained, media reports said citing sources familiar with the matter.

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However, there is no confirmation if these suspects were linked to the attack. “Two persons are seen roaming in the area in CCTV footage. Their role in the ‘blast’ call incident is not yet clear. We are trying to ascertain their identity and what were they doing in the area at the time of the call. Things will become clear only after their questioning,” the sources reportedly said. 

In another development, the Delhi police spotted a letter near the Israeli mission in Delhi. The said letter was addressed to the Israeli ambassador and had “threatening words” in it. 

“A letter has been written in English to the Israeli Embassy in which threatening words are used. The group whose name is written on the letter is Sir Allah Resistance,” the sources reportedly added. The letter is also included in the investigation. 

With the Israel-Hamas war into its third month, there are concerns about attacks on Israelis living overseas. With the situation being quite vulnerable amid the conflict, security around the embassy in Delhi and other Israeli establishments has been intensified.

The advisory followed earlier warnings urging Israelis to reconsider international travel and avoid overt displays of Jewish and Israeli identities amid rising global antisemitism, exacerbated by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

This is not the first instance of the Israeli embassy facing security threats in New Delhi. In 2021, a “very low intensity” device exploded outside the embassy. Windows of three cars were damaged in the incident but it caused no casualties. In a similar incident on 13 February 2012, the wife of an Israeli security staff member was injured in an attack on her car.

(With inputs from agencies)