New Delhi: A “very low-intensity” IED (improvised explosive device) was detonated near the Israeli embassy in the heart of central Delhi on Friday evening, the police have said, adding that no injuries or property damage, apart from shattered windscreens of nearby cars, had been reported.
The blast took place less than two kilometres from Vijaya Chowk, where President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior members of the government had gathered, amid extremely heavy security, for the Beating the Retreat ceremony.
An alert has been issued at all airports, important installations and government buildings in view of blast reported in Delhi. Enhanced security measures have been put in place, the Central Industrial Security Force said.
Police sources said the explosive had been wrapped up in a plastic bag and left on the pavement outside the Jindal residence, which is just metres away from the embassy.
The entire area – the embassy is located on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road – has been cordoned off and senior Delhi Police officers, as well as those from the Special Cell and other intelligence agencies, have reached the spot.
Visuals from the area showed a heavy deployment of police and security personnel standing outside the embassy, with yellow Delhi Police barricades set up at both ends of the road.
The blast comes days after Home Minister Amit Shah met with the Delhi Police Commissioner and the heads of intelligence agencies to discuss security in the national capital.
This was in the aftermath of violence on Republic Day between police and groups of farmers protesting the agriculture laws.
After that meeting additional paramilitary forces were positioned in the city. Senior official as saying 15 companies of paramilitary forces – including 10 from the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) had been sent in and five more were on standby.
This is the second blast to take place involving the Israel embassy; the first was in February 2012, when a bike-borne attacker planted a ‘sticky bomb’ on an embassy vehicle at a traffic junction.
The explosion took place just 300 metres from the Prime Minister’s residence.
That today’s blast, albeit a minor one, took place despite increased security in the national capital and after an earlier such incident involving the Israeli embassy, is something that security and intelligence agencies will be investigating very closely.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
