NEW DELHI - Indian police were investigating reports of a blast near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Dec 26 that did not cause any casualties.
Officers cordoned off the embassy as they combed through the surrounding areas, following the report of the late afternoon blast.
"We can confirm that around 5.20pm there was a blast at close proximity to the embassy," Israeli Embassy spokesman Guy Nir told Reuters, adding that local police and security teams were investigating the incident.
Israel’s foreign ministry in a statement reported “an explosion” near the embassy.
“This evening... an explosion occurred in close proximity to the embassy,” Mr Ohad Nakash Kaynar, Israel’s deputy head of mission in New Delhi said, in a statement.
“All our workers are safe, all our diplomats are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with the local Delhi security, and they will investigate the matter further.”
Israel urged its citizens in India, specifically in New Delhi, to exercise caution. The blast “may have been an attack”, Israel’s National Security Council said in a statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Israeli missions around the world have been on alert amid a rise in anti-Semitic attacks since Israel launched its counteroffensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Teju Chitri, a security guard working at a nearby government languages training institute, told the Press Trust of India news agency that he heard the explosion, which took place in a tightly controlled neighbourhood home to government buildings and diplomatic missions.
“I heard a blast... I came outside and saw smoke coming out from near a tree,” Mr Chitri said.
Nothing had been found in the search operation three hours after the blast, an official involved in the investigation told Reuters.
In January 2021, a small bomb went off near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, without harming anyone. An Israeli official said at the time that Israel was treating the blast as a terrorist incident. AFP, REUTERS
