The investigations into the improvised explosive device (IED) blast outside the Israeli Embassy, which took place on Friday evening, are still not conclusive. But, according to reports, the needle of suspicion is pointing towards Iran with local involvement.
As per a report in Hindustan Times, while investigators are still looking for the people who planted the bomb, the counter-terrorism officials in New Delhi have suggested there is enough evidence to suggest Tehran’s involvement in the blast.
A senior official told the leading daily that deliberate efforts have been made to firewall the real perpetrators behind the terror incident with false flags "and deniability built into the attack that was carried out at the behest of Iran."
Meanwhile, the bomb used was a military-grade explosive, states a report by Indian Express. Preliminary forensic examination of the site and the bomb have revealed that the explosive used was PETN, a military-grade explosive which is not easily available. The PETN has been used in the past by groups such as Al Qaeda for making bombs.
Dump data of mobile calls, Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR), CCTV footage of nearby hotels, and pick and drop details of those who availed cabs are being investigated to get a breakthrough in the ongoing probe in connection with the blast.
Ron Malka, Israel's ambassador to India, on Saturday, said there are enough reasons to believe it was a terrorist attack. He further added they were suspicious that something is brewing since the security at the embassy was beefed up for past few weeks following intelligence inputs.
In an interview with PTI, he also said the investigations will look into all possible angles, including whether there are any links to the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats here, while events around the world are also being examined to find any related operations or activities at foreign shores.
"These attacks by those seeking destablisation in the (West Asia) region cannot stop us or scare us. Our peace efforts will continue uninterrupted," he said when asked whether the attack was aimed at derailing Israel's peace efforts with various Arab countries. He said Israeli authorities and the embassy are providing all assistance and every information Indian authorities probing the attack.
A low-intensity improvised explosive device(IED) went off near the Israeli Embassy in the heart of Delhi on Friday evening but no one was injured.
Police questioned some persons, including a few Iranian nationals and a cab driver who dropped two persons near the blast site just before the explosion. Police also faced some challenges as most CCTV cameras were not functional at the time of the incident, an official told news agency PTI.
The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police Crime Branch is also investigating the Telegram account which sent a viral screenshot claiming that an entity named Jaish-Ul-Hind has taken responsibility for the explosion.
Meanwhile, a half-burnt cloth and a polythene bag have been recovered from the site of the blast near the Israel Embassy, and is being examined by the authorized agencies, sources in Delhi Police told ANI on Saturday.
(With inputs from Agencies)
