Israel Embassy Blast: NIA likely to take over the case
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A low intensity bomb exploded near the Israel Embassy on Aurangzeb road around 5.05 p.m. on Friday, in which windowpanes of three vehicles were damaged
New Delhi:National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to register a case on a low intensity IED blast took place near the Israel Embassy in the high-security central Delhi area a day after the incident took place,sources said on Saturday.
A team of NIA officials had visited the blast site Friday evening and collected materials from the site. The team of the NIA officials also carried out complete mapping of the area to identify the route and the persons involved in the blast.
According to sources, the NIA also had a chat with the Delhi Police officials and the bomb squad.
The agency is soon likely to register a case in the blast incident, said the sources.
Earlier, Delhi Police Special Cell had obtained a CCTV footage showing a car dropping off two persons who walk towards the spot near the Israel Embassy where a minor explosion took place on Friday evening, reports IANS
Reports says that a team of investigators from Israel could arrive in New Delhi as early as Saturday to assist Indian agencies in the probe over the blast in which some cars were damaged in the high-security zone of Lutyens' Delhi.
The driver of the vehicle has been traced and sketches of the two people are being prepared. A probe has been initiated to ascertain their involvment in the blast.
A letter has also been recovered from the site of blast that mentions the explosion was just a "trailer".
Sources said that the letter also mentions Iran's General Qasem Soleimani and top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as "martyrs".
Both were assassinated last year. Soleimani was killed near the Baghdad International Airport in a drone strike ordered by then US President Donald Trump on January 3.
Friday's blast took place 1.4 km from Vijay Chowk, where the President and Prime Minister and other senior members of the government had assembled for the Beating Retreat ceremony.
A high alert has been sounded in the capital and security at the airport and other strategic locations have been intensified
"The incident is being investigated by Indian authorities who are in contact with the relevant Israeli officials. The foreign minister is being updated regularly and has ordered all necessary security steps be taken," Times of Israel (TOI) quoted the Foreign Ministry of Israel.
The area around the embassy is sealed after the explosion and is being investigated to ascertain the nature of the blast. The IED explosion occurred 2kms away from the embassy while the annual Beating Retreat ceremony was going on near the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"The Indian FM assured me that the Indian authorities are committed to the security of all Israeli diplomatic staff and will continue to act resolutely to locate all those involved in the explosion. I thanked him and promised full cooperation and any help required from Israel," Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi tweeted.
(With inputs from IANS)