New Delhi:
A very well-trained single person on a motorcycle drove up to the Toyota Innova car being used by an Israeli diplomat's wife, attached a device to the car waiting at a traffic intersection and there was an explosion within four or five seconds, injuring four people yesterday. Home Minister P Chidambaram recounted this today after being briefed by Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta. He said CCTV footage from houses near the blast site is being scoured for images of the motorcyclist, but no clear image has been found yet.
(Israel Embassy car blast: Top 10 developments)"We think the target was the Israeli diplomat's wife and therefore we have to assume this was a terror attack," Mr Chidambaram said. Officials in the Home Ministry said, "Who planned and who did it will be known only after investigations are over. At this stage it is premature to name any country."
The Delhi Police today said five people were detained after incident but let off after questioning. The police are also on the lookout for an abandoned red motorcycle.
In an off camera briefing, the police also said that the magnetic bits found on the burnt Innova are as big as a palm top and that they are studying CCTV footage from houses near the blast, however, the footage is very hazy.
The police also said that they cannot say if Iran can be blamed for the attack, even as sources said the probe is veering towards the resident Iranian population.
The Israeli woman, Tal Yehoshua-Koren, about 40 years old, was operated upon to remove shrapnel from her spine last night. Doctors said there is damage to nerves in her left leg; the nerves have been repaired as much as possible, the doctors said, but the leg is paralysed for now. They are monitoring to see how much movement she can recover in that leg. She also has injuries in her lung and liver.
Doctors said today that Ms Yehoshua could talk a little now and her husband was with her. Ms Yehoshua was on her way to pick up her children from the American School when the explosion took place at 3.20 pm yesterday. Three other people, including the driver of the car, had minor injuries.
In its search for the biker assailant, the Delhi Police is conducting raids on guest houses and hotels across the city where foreigners usually put up and are checking their documents. Sources say that investigations are focusing on Iranian residents in India following the premise that the execution of the attack was "outsourced."
The police are also investigating the security lapse in one of Delhi's most secure zones; the blast site is very near the entrance to the Prime Minister's 7 Race Course Road residence. Security has been tightened in the area.
Investigators have ruled out use of RDX in the blast, saying the assailant possibly used a sulphur-based explosive since the car instantly went up in flames.
(See: Pics of car explosion) Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also surveyed the blast spot today and studied the damaged vehicle which, initial investigations show, was blown up by a remote controlled device and not one with a timer.
A post-blast investigation team from Israel is expected to arrive in the capital to aid in investigations. Israel has also passed on information to India about two suspects who are currently in the custody of the Georgian police over a bomb being found in the car of a local employee at the Israeli embassy in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi yesterday. That bomb was defused by the local police. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed yesterday that the two incidents are linked and has blamed Iran and the militant group Hezbollah for both attacks.
"We witnessed today two attempted attacks on innocent civilians, the first one on an Israeli citizen who was injured in New Delhi, and the second one on a local employee at the Israel embassy in Georgia. Iran, who stands behind these attacks, is the biggest terror exporter in the world. The Israeli government and the its security forces will continue to work hand in hand with the local security forces against such acts of terror, and we will continue to act against them forcefully, systematically and calmly against international terror originating from Iran," Mr Netanyahu said.
Israeli Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz told NDTV, "Iran has been openly calling for the destruction of Israel. This was planned in Tehran."
(Watch)Iran has firmly denied the allegations. Ramin Mehmanparast, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We categorically reject the accusations made by the Zionist regime. They are part of a propaganda war... Iran condemns all acts of terrorism."
(Read: Iran denies Israel's allegations)India, which will have to walk the diplomatic tightrope, has assured Israel of a serious and thorough investigation. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today said, "We do not want to speculate on Iran's role. The investigating authorities are fully involved and would be in a better position to tell us who was behind it once their investigation is complete...spoke to the Israeli foreign minister last night and reassured him that everyone in the embassy would be given ample protection." Mr Chidambaram today said, "I understand that the External Affairs Minister has spoken to his counterpart in Israel and we have assured them that the investigation will proceed until we find the perpetrator of this attack."
The US condemned the attacks. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "The United States places a high priority on the safety and security of diplomatic personnel around the world and we stand ready to assist with any investigation of these cowardly actions".