Bomb found in abandoned bag at Delhi flower market
The IED weighed roughly 3kg and likely consisted of powerful chemicals like RDX or ammonium nitrate, officials aware of the preliminary finding said, while adding that shrapnel were seen in the device, which could have led to significant harm if detonated.
An improvised explosive device (IED) was found in an unclaimed bag at one of the entrances of the largest flower market in Delhi on Friday and was neutralised before its timer could trigger a detonation, sending a Capital-wide security alert days before Republic Day celebrations.
The IED weighed roughly 3kg and likely consisted of powerful chemicals like RDX or ammonium nitrate, officials aware of the preliminary finding said, while adding that shrapnel were seen in the device, which could have led to significant harm if detonated.
One of the people aware of the matter said they are not ruling out a terror motive and a connection to the explosion that took place in Ludhiana last month, even as the police began a search to identify who placed the bag the spot.
The market, the largest for flowers in the city, is usually bustling in the morning hours.
Additional deputy police commissioner (east) Vinit Kumar said that at 10.16am, their control room received a call regarding an unattended bag outside gate number 1. A police team immediately reached the spot, cordoned off the area, and alerted other agencies about it, he said.
NSG director general MA Ganapathy told HT that “prima facie analysis of samples taken from the bomb site (at Ghazipur Flower Market) suggests RDX and ammonium nitrate was used”. He added that primary findings have been shared with the Delhi Police.
A police officer, who did not want to be named, added that the bag was spotted on a pavement by the owner of a scooter, who had come from the market and was about to leave the area.
The man first informed the security guard, who called the police. By noon, the bomb squad, sniffer dogs, firemen and fire tenders, special cell sleuths, and experts from the National Security Guard (NSG) arrived, and the market was evacuated.
“The bomb experts of the NSG first tried to defuse the IED. But since it had a timer device and may have exploded, the officials decided to destroy it through the controlled explosion. Nobody was hurt in that operation,” added the officer.
The controlled explosion was carried out in an eight-foot pit hurriedly dug with the help of an earthmover 100m from the spot where the bag was found.
Bomb detection and disposal experts of the NSG collected traces of the explosive materials from the site where it was placed, and from the area where it was destroyed, for further examination.
According to some police officers who were at the incident site, the IED contained nearly 3kg of explosive substance and some shrapnel. A timer device was also seen, they said.
The NSG has a national bomb data centre which collects, analyses and evaluates all terrorist bombing activities in India and foreign countries. RDX is a military grade explosive which is not sold in the open market and in most of the instances when it has been used in India, its origin has been traced to Pakistan, according to an intelligence official, who asked not to be named.
The presence of RDX, if confirmed, could be a significant clue as to the motives or suspects. Punjab’s police chief said late on Friday that a cache of RDX was recovered from close to the border with Pakistan. “IED consignment weighing 5kg approximately which includes 2.7kg RDX recovered by STF from Gharinda area in Amritsar just 2.5km from the international border,” said a tweet from the official account of the Punjab’s director general of police, Viresh Kumar Bhawra.
A case under the relevant sections of the Explosive Act was registered by the Delhi Police’s anti-terror squad, the Special Cell.
Several police teams have been formed to identify the suspect who planted the IED. The police are scanning CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity of the market for clues.
Police presence has been intensified across the city and checking of vehicles at border points around the Ghazipur market were intensified after the recovery of the IED. The Ghazipur vegetable market adjacent to the flower market was open throughout the day.
