An Israeli embassy car exploded close to the mission in New Delhi, in a suspected coordinated terror attack after a car bomb involving an Israeli embassy vehicle in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was defused.
According to initial investigations, two motorcycle-borne youths tailed the vehicle on Aurangzeb Road in the high security zone and allegedly placed “something” in the rear of the car when it stopped at a traffic signal. Minutes later, there was an explosion and the Toyota Innova burst into flames. Three persons, including the Administrative Attache of the embassy, were injured in the incident, which occurred 500 metres from the Prime Minister’s residence.
Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta said a magnetic device was apparently stuck on the rear of the Israeli Embassy car, and the blast could have been triggered with a remote control device.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran and its “protege”, Hezbollah, for the attacks, accusing Tehran of being the “world’s largest terror exporter”.
Iran denied accusations that it was behind the attacks. “We categorically reject the accusations made by the Zionist regime. They are part of a propaganda war,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language channel Al-Alam. “Iran condemns all acts of terrorism.”