A low-intensity blast was reported near the Israel embassy in Delhi in the evening on Tuesday.
No one was injured in the incident and an “abusive” letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador has been found near the site, officials said.
It has been sent to the forensic lab to check for fingerprints.
“It’s a one-page letter written in English. It is suspected to be related to some organisation,” a police source said.
The incident took place in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in the national capital.
A search operation is underway. A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also examined the site.
The explosion and the recovery of the letter is a grim reminder of the 2021 blast near the embassy in which some cars were damaged. The NIA had probed the case.
Security has been high around the Israel embassy since the war between Israel and Hamas began earlier this year, security officials said.
Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir said, “We can confirm that around 5:48 pm there was a blast in close proximity to the embassy. Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation.”
Deputy Chief of Mission (Israel) Ohad Nakash Kaynar said, “All our diplomats and workers are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with local Delhi security and they will investigate the matter further.”
Security officials who visited the spot said since no remnants of the explosive were found at the spot, the possibility of a “chemical explosion” cannot be ruled out.
According to Delhi Fire Services officials, they received a call about the blast at 5:45 pm. The fire department immediately sent two fire engines to the spot.
Sources said the caller told police that there was a blast behind the embassy. A guard deployed at the Central Hindi Training Institute told reporters that he heard a loud sound and saw smoke billowing from a tree in the green belt area.
Soon after the explosion, teams of Delhi Police’s Special Cell, bomb disposal squad and fire department rushed to the spot, before an NIA team took over.
In February 2012, a bomb was planted under an Israeli embassy car here, injuring a diplomat’s wife.
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