According to Delhi Police sources, a “blast” call was received in the evening near the embassy. Though no traces of a blast were found, an “abusive” letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found near a vacant plot near the embassy, said a police official
In a video message posted on social media, Israeli Deputy Ambassador to India Ohad Nakash Kaynar said, “After 5 pm, an explosion occurred in close proximity of the embassy. All our diplomats and workers are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with the Delhi security teams, which are investigating the matter further.”
According to reports quoting eyewitness accounts, a blast-like sound and smoke emanating from a nearby tree were heard and seen.
The Delhi Police have intensified its probe into a low-intensity blast that occurred near the Israel Embassy here and sources said two youths were caught on camera walking on the road close to the spot shortly before the explosion.
The police have also beefed up security in the national capital after Tuesday’s blast near the embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave, an official said.
Areas around the Israel embassy and Jewish establishments in Delhi have been put under the watch of the security personnel. The local police have been asked to increase the vigil in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday.
According to police sources, CCTV footage has been recovered from near the spot in which two youths were found walking on the road, shortly before the blast. "It is yet to be ascertained whether they are suspects," the officer said.
The security agencies have collected multiple CCTV footage from the lanes of Abdul Kalam Road and Prithviraj Road.
Security officials who visited the spot said since no remnants of the explosive were found at the spot, the possibility of a "chemical explosion" cannot be ruled out.
No one was injured in the blast but an "abusive" letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found near the site, officials said.
The letter is "abusive" in nature. It has been sent to the forensic lab to check for fingerprints, they said.
"It's a one-page letter written in English. It is suspected to be related to some organisation with name 'Sir Allah Resistence', and the words like Zionists, Palestine and Gaza are mentioned in the letter," a police source said on Tuesday.
The explosion and the recovery of the letter is a grim reminder of the 2021 blast near the embassy in which some cars were damaged. The National Investigation Agency had probed the case.
Security has been upped around the Israel embassy since the war between Israel and Hamas began earlier this year, the officials said. Meanwhile, all international flights were thoroughly checked on Tuesday night.
The particulars of every passenger boarding these flights were double-checked.Only after verifying the details of air passengers were international flights permitted to take off