IED recovered from Old Seemapuri was meant to target public places, says Delhi Police Commissioner

New Delhi [India], February 18: Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, on Friday said the IED recovered and neutralized in Old Seemapuri was meant to target public places, and such activities are not possible without local support.

Addressing media persons, Asthana said, "An IED was recovered in Ghazipur on January 17, a similar IED was recovered and neutralized in Old Seemapuri yesterday. As per probe, these IEDs were prepared to target public places. Such activities are not possible without local support."

He further said the special cell and investigative teams are trying to pre-empt every such incident in Delhi and expose any local or foreign network.

"Special cell and investigative teams are on it; we are probing forward and backward linkages. We're trying to pre-empt every such incident in Delhi and expose any local or foreign network. I cannot reveal any further details which may hamper probe," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, a timer device with Ammonium Nitrate and RDX was used in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) recovered from a house in northeast Delhi's Old Seemapuri, said National Security Guard (NSG).

The elite NSG wing under the Ministry of Home Affairs also told ANI that the IED was recovered from the second floor of a house, and its weight was approximately 2.5 kg to 3 kg.

A Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) of the NSG diffused the IED soon after it arrived at the spot around 2.45 pm, following information regarding the explosive received from the Delhi Police. (ANI)