Monday, February 13, 2012

INDIA: Delhi Police Special Cell to Head Bombing Probe


In this television frame grab taken from NDTV, the burning wreckage of an Israeli embassy car is seen following an explosion in New Delhi on February 13, 2012. An Israeli embassy car blew up in the Indian capital, injuring an Israeli diplomat and one other person, but it was not immediately known whether the explosion was caused by a bomb, officials said.

The burning wreckage of an Israeli embassy car following an explosion in New Delhi. Photo: AFP

The elite Special Cell of the Dehli Police are heading the probe into a bombing targeting Israeli diplomats in the city.
By Gavriel Queenann
First Publish: 2/13/2012, 7:50 PM


Mumbai, India
Mumbai, India
Flash 90
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has been tasked with investigating the terror attack in an Israeli embassycar that left four wounded on Monday.


Tal Yehoshua Koren, the 42-year-old wife of the Defense Attache at Israel's embassy, her driver Manor Sharma, and two others – Arun Sharma and Manjeet Singh – were injured in the explosion at 3:18 PM at the Aurangzeb Road crossing in Delhi.


Dehli Police Commissioner BK Gupta told India Today, "The woman was going to the American Embassy School to pick up her children. According to eye witnesses, a biker stuck some kind of magnetic device to the car. After the motorcycle crossed, there was a blast and the vehicle caught fire."
Gupta said there was only one person on the bike.


"The Israeli woman is being treated at the Primus hospital. Her condition is stable and she is conscious, while the other three have suffered minor injuries."


Gupta added a team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory is examining the car to ascertain the nature of the explosives used.


Sources told the Times of India it did not appear that a timer was used to trigger the explosion and instead a remote control could have been used.


The Delhi Police Special Cell is responsible for investigating terrorism and serious and or sensitive incidents that impact public security. They are expected to be joined in the investigation by members of the Indian national government’s Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Another almost identical attack targeting Israeli diplomatic staff in Georgia was carried out on Monday as well.


Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu blamed Tehran for the attacks, "Iran, the largest exporter of terrorism in the world.”


He added Israel had thwarted similar attacks in the past several months, including Azerbaijan and Thailand.


“In each instance we succeeded in foiling the attacks in cooperation with local authorities,” Netanyahu said. “Iran and its proxy Hizbullah were behind all of these attempted attacks.”
President Shimon Peres also blamed Iran, adding that "Israel will not be bullied" by terror.
Analysts say the method of attack – a passing motorcyclist attaching a magnetic explosive to car – Is identical to the method employed by the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) in assassinating five Iranian nuclear scientists.


The attacks on Israel's diplomats come just days after officials in the Obama Administration accused Israel's Mossad funding, training, and backing the MEK. (Hmm! Loose lips and public accusations from the "administration" do NOT assist the security and safety of an ally, does it?!)