Delhi bomb planter ‘well-trained’: Chidambaram

The Centre on Tuesday confirmed that Monday’s attack on an Israeli embassy car was carried out using a bomb with a magnetic base.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday confirmed that Monday’s attack on an Israeli embassy car was carried out using a bomb with a magnetic base.

Addressing reporters here, Home Minister P Chidambaram – after being briefed by Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta and other officials – said that the attack was carried out by a “well-trained” person.

Detailing the attack, Chidambaram said a motorcycle with a single rider came from behind and attached a device to the rear door on right hand side of the Innova car which was parked at the junction due to red signal.

The Home Minister said according to an eyewitness Gopalakrishnan, the assailant swung past the car after planting the device and fled.

“The explosion happened about 4 to 5 seconds after the attacker fled,” Chidambaram said.

Stating that “a very well-trained person committed the incident”, Chidambaram added that the target was Israeli diplomat’s wife.

He stated that it was a “terror attack”.

The minister told reporters that the CCTV camera footage were being scanned but so far, no clear image of a motorcycle or number plate has emerged.

“Special teams have been deployed to trace the motorcycle,” he said.

While strongly condemning the incident, Chidambaram said he was not pointing finger at any group at the moment.

He informed that top government functionaries, including External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, were in touch with the Israeli government in Tel Aviv as well its diplomatic mission here.

“We have assured Israel that the investigation would proceed until we find the perpetrators of the attack,” Chidambaram said.

According to the minister, the Israeli woman diplomat injured in the attack was “stable and out of danger”.

The other three injured in the attack are also fine, he added.

The Home Minister further said that “the Delhi Police Commissioner would make a statement sometime this evening”.

‘No evidence to name any country’

Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary RK Singh said today there was no evidence till now to suggest involvement of any country in the bomb attack on an Israeli diplomat here.

"We have no evidence to name any country. It`s premature to take any country`s name," he told reporters when asked whether there was Iranian hand in yesterday`s terror attack which left four persons including an Israeli diplomat injured.

The Home Secretary said the investigators were yet to zero in on people behind the crime and no material has suggested involvement of any particular country.

"We don`t have any idea who planted it. There is no material to show involvement of any country. The perpetrators behind the attack will be known only after the investigation is completed," he said. \

Official sources said there was no prior intelligence input about yesterday`s terror strike and the device used to carry out the blast was very sophisticated and it was used in India for the first time.

The Home Ministry has issued an advisory to all states to beef up security in Jewish establishments and for Israeli tourists visiting India.

The Centre also told the states hosting diplomatic missions of Israel, the United States and other Western countries, to beef up security there. The Home Ministry also advised the states not to allow parking near any missions and make alternative arrangements for it.

With PTI inputs

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