'Not Surprised': Israeli Envoy Responds To Delhi Blast, Says We Were On High Alert For Weeks

Responding to a poser on whether there could be any link to the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats in New Delhi, he said that angle is also being investigated but added “it is still too early for that”.

(Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Stating there might be a connection between the blast near the embassy and the 2012 attack targeting the country's diplomats in New Delhi, Israel’s ambassador to India, Ron Malka, has said there are enough reasons to believe it was a terrorist attack.

“Our assumption as of now is that we have enough reasons to believe that this was a terrorist attack targetted at Israeli Embassy in New Delhi,” Malka told PTI when asked to comments on reports about an entity called ‘Jaish ul Hind’ claiming responsibility for the attack.

Responding to a poser on whether there could be any link to the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats in New Delhi, he said that angle is also being investigated but added “it is still too early for that”. 

“But as I said this is still an early stage of investigation and, therefore, we need to be careful and we will keep all the options open until we know for sure that we can cancel any option or we can focus more on one of them,” he said.

Earlier in February 2012, one embassy staff member, a local employee and two passers-by sustained injuries. This as a motorcycle rider had attached an explosive device to the back door of the diplomat’s car from behind.

Pointing out that the attack took place on the day when Jerusalem was celebrating “29 fruitful and rewarding years of collaboration” with New Delhi, the Israeli envoy said all possible angles are open on who could be behind the attack.

“Is it a coincidence or is it not? Who knows that, but of course this is an option being probed. Also, we are examining events and incidents around the world at some destinations whether there was some kind of operations elsewhere also targetted at Israel. All of that is being looked into,” he added.

Asserting that diplomats and Israeli representatives around the world are “targets of our enemies”, Malka said all precautions and necessary steps are taken “based on our own guidelines and the security procedures that we follow”. 

“This time we had increased the level of alert, so we were very much prepared and secure and protected,” he added.

When asked whether the Israeli agencies will join the investigation, Malka said the probe is mostly being done by the authorities in New Delhi as the attack took place on Indian soil.

“But of course, whatever assistance we can provide, whatever we can share, we will do that,” he added.

When quizzed on the envelope recovered from the site hinting at a possible Iranian link, Malka said it would not be “appropriate to talk about anything that might harm the investigation”.

The envoy said all efforts are being made to help the probe team, adding the Israeli embassy is “collecting everything that can shed more light on what happened”.

The envoy’s remarks come a day after a low-intensity bomb exploded near the Israel Embassy on Aurangzeb road around 5.05 p.m. on Friday. There were, however, no injuries in the incident.