Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday extended Jerusalem’s “deepest condolences” to the Indian people after eight civilians were killed in a suspected terror attack in central New Delhi on Monday.
“I extend my & Israel’s deepest condolences to the People of India and especially to the families of the innocent victims killed in the blast at the heart of Delhi,” Sa’ar stated. “Wishing speedy recovery to the wounded.”
“Israel stands with India in its fight against terror,” the top diplomat added.
A powerful vehicle explosion near the 17th-century Red Fort in India’s capital on Monday night killed at least eight people and injured 20 others, authorities said, in what is being treated as potential terrorism.
The deadly blast near the Red Fort metro station came hours after police arrested terrorists and seized explosive materials and other weapons during a raid in Faridabad, located in the northern state of Haryana.
However, as of Monday, Indian authorities had not confirmed any links between the explosion and the arrested terrorists, who were said to have links with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Islamist terror group, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an India-based offshoot of Al Qaeda.
“I assure everyone that the agencies will get to the bottom of the entire conspiracy,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Tuesday.
During a Nov. 3 visit to India, Sa’ar thanked New Delhi for its “strong solidarity” with Israel, noting Modi was among the first to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
“India is a global superpower. And Israel is a regional powerhouse. Our nations already share a warm friendship. Our goal is to build a long-term strategic partnership between Israel and India,” stated Sa’ar. “Radical terror is a mutual threat to Israel and India,” he added.
