Israel raises alert level after overseas attacks

Israel on Tuesday raised the state of alert throughout the country after its diplomats in India and Georgia were targeted in two bomb attacks.

Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich ordered police to raise alert levels across the country following the attacks abroad.

The police’s Operations head, Commander Nissim Mor sent out instructions to all seven police districts on the new level of alert, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Areas of increased security include places that have large crowds, embassies, sites linked to foreign interests, airports, sea ports, and government institutions, Jerusalem Post quoted Rosenfeld as saying.

Police districts switched to the ‘Shield 3’ security level, which means that officers have formed three rings of security, the paper said.

Additionally, officers received a reminder on guidelines for opening fire.

Commenting on the recent attacks, Mr. Aharonovich said, “We know who is behind them, and the government of Israel will reach them.”

Meanwhile, authorities in Thailand said an Iranian was responsible for the three explosions in Bangkok, which wounded four people, including the attacker.

Reacting to the latest incident, Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said there were no immediate signs that targets were Israeli or Jewish, “but we can’t rule out that possibility.”

Israel had blamed Iran for yesterday’s attacks in India and Georgia. Officials predicted that those attacks, which targeted Israeli diplomats, were just the first in a wave of assaults on Israeli targets by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.

Iran has denied Israel’s charge.