This was the first instance where a magnet bomb, called limpet bombs because of the way they can be stuck to the vehicles of unsuspecting targets, was used in the country, and spells a new worry. The attack on Tal Yehoshua Korene, wife of Israel's defence attache, diverges from the pattern of terror India has suffered so far as it targeted an individual. Terror groups arrayed against India have lately been focused on attacks aimed at maximizing casualties, with bombs set off in crowded places.
The use of a new weapon and the targeting of individuals can present security agencies with fresh complexities in a scenario where only those having Z-plus and Z security cover are buffered against use of magnet bombs. Usually, Z-plus and Z category protectees are tailed by security vehicles which would deter an attack like the one on Monday when a motorcyclist stuck an explosive device to the Israeli embassy vehicle when it had stopped at a traffic intersection.
"We can only hope that this does not inspire others. Or else, we will be saddled with a gigantic task," a senior intelligence official said, adding that the security drill may have to be reviewed in light of the attack that has widely been seen as a retaliatory hit by Iran against Israeli targets as part of their confrontation over Tehran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.
"You can imagine what we will be required to do if there are a couple of copycat attacks. The sheer task of providing protectees with additional cover is going to be a huge strain on our resources," said the senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The attack has also raised questions on the current scheme of registering diplomatic vehicles under which each country is assigned a specific number. The scheme makes embassy cars as well as individual diplomats using them easily identifiable. Although the arrangement, flowing from international convention on diplomatic ties, is meant to help diplomats carry out their assignment without hassles, the arrangement, as it now transpires, can render them vulnerable.
On Tuesday, security of both the Israeli and American embassies and their staffers was ramped up as the blasts in Bangkok underlined the threat of tensions over Iran's nuclear programme triggering a new wave of covert strikes in foreign capitals. The estimate is that there may be a step up in attacks on Israeli targets as part of what is suspected to be a determined counter-offensive to deter those seeking to thwart Iran from acquiring nuclear weaponry.
However, home minister P Chidambaram refrained from spelling out the suspected source of the attack on the Israeli woman whose condition remained critical. Speaking to reporters, he confirmed that Monday's strike was a terror attack. Talking to reporters, he also said the attacker was well-trained, but refused to point fingers at anyone.
Home secretary R K Singh also said, in response to a question on whether Iran was behind the blast, that it was too premature to name anyone.
However, sources in the home ministry said that although the bomber showed skill of a degree that is not associated with local modules, the attack could not have been executed without significant local support. To back up the assumption, they pointed to his familiarity with the terrain.
Significantly, the attack has again exposed a chink in the security cover, with footage of police CCTVs yielding virtually no clue to the bomber's identity except that he was riding a red motorcycle. Delhi Police investigators have now sought CCTV footage from Canadian and Israeli embassies.
The probe has already taken an international dimension, with investigators approaching their counterparts in Georgia on the similar attack on an Israeli target in Tbilisi on Monday. The attackers in the Georgian capital have been nabbed and can, along with the bomber who was arrested in Bangkok on Monday, help investigators determine whether the attacks flowed from a plan to retaliate against the targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
Israel has been eager to help with investigation: an offer which has already been accepted. Sources in the home ministry confirmed that the two countries, whose security agencies have a good rapport, will share information as the investigation progresses.
