According to an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, staff at Israel’s embassies in India and Georgia were targeted by bombers on Monday. A bomb exploded at Israel’s New Delhi embassy, but in Tbilisi an explosive device was defused.
The bomb in New Delhi hit an embassy car and wounded a diplomat’s wife, who had just dropped her two children in daycare, according to Indian police. New Delhi television reported that two bikers were tailing the car and at one point one of them “hurled something at the car,” which exploded shortly after.
The woman was not immediately identified and there was no word on her condition.
“There was one attempted attack, and one successful, as it were,” said Paul Hirschson, a spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry. “In both cases, the people concerned worked with the Israeli embassies.”
Hirschson said that a bomb was found in a car belonging to an embassy employee in Tbilisi, which was defused by local police.
IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Benny Ganz assembled an emergency evaluation meeting following the two attacks, with Military Intelligence Chief Gen. Aviv Cohavi, Operations Division Chief Gen. Ya’akov Aish, and Air force Chief Gen. Ido Eitan.
The blast came just one day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah terrorist Imad Mugniyah. two people were wounded. Television footage showed a charred minivan with blue diplomatic plates, its rear door apparently blown out.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today placed the responsibility for the attack in India and the attempted attack in Georgia on Iran and the Hezbollah. Speaking at a meeting of the Likud faction in the Knesset, Netanyahu said that Iran is an exporter of terror to the world and that Israel will continue “combat terror with a strong hand, patiently and systematically.”
Readiness at all Israeli missions around the world has been increased following today’s attacks. Diplomats received a directive to avoid using their own vehicles until all of them are checked by security officials.