| 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats | |
|---|---|
| Part ofIran–Israel proxy conflict | |
| Location | New Delhi, India Tbilisi, Georgia (attempted) |
| Date | 13 February 2012 (2012-02-13) |
| Target | Israeli Diplomat |
Attack type |
|
| Weapon | IED |
| Injured | 4 |
The2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats occurred on 13 February 2012 after a bomb explosion on an Israeli diplomatic car in New Delhi, India, wounding one embassy staff member, a local employee and two passers-by. Another bomb planted in a car inTbilisi, Georgia failed to explode and was defused by Georgian police.
In the preceding months there had been anescalating war of words between Israel and Iran. On 12 February 2012, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Azeri ambassador to complain against a report inThe Times thatMossad had used Azerbaijan as a base for covert operations against Iran.[1][2]
On 25 January 2012, Azerbaijani authorities detained three individuals who they suspected of plotting to attack the country's Israeli ambassador, Michael Lotem. The alleged plotters were identified as being connected to an Iranian citizen who had ties to Iranian intelligence.[3] The President of IsraelShimon Peres thanked Azerbaijan's PresidentIlham Aliyev for thwarting the operation.[4]
A motorcyclist attached asticky bomb to the car of the wife of the Israelidefence attache to India while she was on her way to pick up her children from school.[5] The woman, Tal Yehoshua Koren, sustained moderate injuries that required surgery to remove shrapnel while her driver and two bystanders suffered minor injuries.[6][7]
An Indian journalist, Syed Mohammad Ahmed Kazmi, wascharge-sheeted in the case. His judicial custody was extended until 9 August 2012, the day slated by the court to consider to take cognizance of the charge sheet.[8]
In February 2012, a car parked 200 meters (660 ft) from theIsraeli embassy in Tbilisi was discovered to have a bomb after a local driver for the embassy heard a noise while he was driving. He pulled over to side of the road and discovered a bomb underneath his car. He then alerted theGeorgian police, who defused the bomb.[9]
Indian Home MinisterP. Chidambaram said that the use ofRDX was ruled out (which had previously been used in other attacks in India) and that no one was accused until investigations were over. He added that those who perpetrated the attacks would be brought to justice.[10]Delhi Police had detained five people after the incident, but they were released after questioning. Indian authorities looked atCCTV footage for images of the perpetrator.[11]
On 7 March 2012,Delhi Police arrested Indian journalistMohammad Ahmad Kazmi who claimed to work for an Iranian news organisation.[12] The police claimed that he had conducted arecce of the Israeli embassy along with three other Iranian nationals, one of whom executed the blast. They also claimed that he was in touch with the mastermind of the module, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, and that Kazmi's wife received foreign remittances of ₹18.785 lakh through her bank account while Kazmi received ₹3,80,000(US$4600) from the module.[13] On 3 April 2012, his bail petition was dismissed by aCourt of Metropolitan Magistrate. The court cited prima facie evidence and large scale international ramifications to be among the reasons to dismiss his petition.[14] On 10 April 2012,Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation andEnforcement Directorate registered amoney laundering case underPrevention of Money Laundering Act against Kazmi. However, his relatives refuted all allegations.[15] On 31 July 2012, Kazmi waschargesheeted. He was charged under various provisions ofUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA),Indian Penal Code (IPC) including attempt to murder andExplosive Substances Act.[16]
In July 2012, theTimes of India reported thatDelhi Police concluded that terrorists belonging to a branch of Iran's military, theIranian Revolutionary Guards, were responsible for the attack. According to the report, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards may have planned other attacks on Israeli targets around the world as well.[17][18]Yoram Cohen, the chief ofShin Bet, said that Iranian agents were seeking revenge for covert operations, including the assassinations of Iranian scientists.[19]
Kazmi was granted bail in October 2012. As of 2016, Kazmi was still out on bail.[20]
Israel – Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu blamedIran for both incidents. "Iran, which is behind these attacks, is the greatest exporter of terrorism in the world. The Israeli government and its security forces will continue to work together with local security services against these terrorist actions."[9]
Iran –Foreign Ministry spokesmanRamin Mehmanparast condemned the attacks, which it called "terrorist"; it rejected the Israeli allegation and denied responsibility for the incidents.[22]The next dayanother failed attempt inBangkok,Thailand led to the injuries of four people. Though the target was not known the perpetrators were said to be Iranian.[23]
The attack was mentioned byDonald Trump, the President of the United States, as one of the terrorist attacks involvingQasem Soleimani, theQuds Force commander, in his speech after the2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike.[24]
