Amid a raging Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Delhi Police received a call on Tuesday about a blast near Israel's embassy in New Delhi. A team of Delhi Police Crime Branch officials have rushed to the spot and are probing the reported 'blast' with the forensics team. As per the media reports, the Delhi Fire Service got a call around 6:00 PM this evening about an explosion on an empty plot behind the Israel Embassy in the Chanakyapuri area of Delhi.
The police sources said that they have recovered a letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador near the explosion site.
“Today at 5:53 pm, a PCR call was received conveying the information that a loud sound was heard from the back side of the Israel Embassy. Considering the sensitivity of the location and the mention of explosion-type sound, senior officers rushed to the location. In close follow-up, the dog squad, crime team and BDS 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 a thorough search. The experts have examined the spot and lifted exhibits that may have evidentiary relevance, the same are being sent for forensic examination. Further enquiry is in progress,” a statement from Delhi Police said.
A guard, who witnessed the incident claimed that he heard a loud sound and when he rushed out to see what was going on, he saw smoke coming from the top of a tree. "This happened around 5 pm, I was on my duty and heard a loud sound. When I came out, I saw smoke coming from the top of a tree, that's all I saw...Police have taken my statement..." the eyewitness told news agency ANI.
Israel's foreign ministry reacted to the reports and said the alleged explosion around the New Delhi embassy is under investigation and the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government is cooperating with Indian authorities in the matter.
"We can confirm that around 5:20 there was a blast at close proximity to the embassy," Israeli Embassy spokesperson Guy Nir told Reuters. The spokesperson cleared that all the staff of the Israeli Embassy were unharmed following the blast.
This is not the first time an explosion has been reported near the Israel Embassy in New Delhi. Earlier in 2021, a low-intensity blast occurred outside the Israeli embassy. Although no one was hurt in the blast, it left a crater on the road and three cars were damaged in the explosion. India's anti-terror body National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation of the case and the probe is still on.
Israel was quick to blame Iran for the explosion and a note recovered from the blast site claimed that the attack was conducted in response to the killing of Iran Quds Commander Qassem Soleimani.
The latest explosion in New Delhi comes amid an intense Israel-Hamas war in Gaza where more than 20,000 people have been killed, most of them innocent civilians. Israel is facing extreme pressure from the world to tone down its airstrikes over the Gaza region and many organisations in India took out protests against the death of Palestinians in Gaza.
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