Bomb threat mail to around 40 Delhi schools, sender demands USD 30,000
New Delhi (PTI): Around 40 schools in Delhi received a bomb threat mail Monday morning with the sender demanding USD 30,000, a police official said.
The threat was sent in a single e-mail marked to the city's prominent schools including DPS RK Puram; GD Goenka, Paschim Vihar; The British School, Chanakyapuri; The Mother's International, Aurobindo Marg; Modern School, Mandi House; DPS Vasant Kunj; Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung; DPS East of Kailash and Salwan Public Schools.
Most schools that received the threat suspended their classes and sent students back home as officials said.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said they received the first alerts about the bomb threats from DPS RK Puram (7.06 am) and GD Goenka Paschim Vihar (6.15 am).
He said bomb detection teams, fire officials, local police and dog squads responded immediately and conducted searches at the schools.
Nothing suspicious has been found yet, a police official said around 9.30 am.
He said said further operations are underway.
Sources said the email was delivered on the schools' id at 11.38 pm Sunday -- when the schools were closed -- from scottielanza@gmail.com.
"I planted multiple bombs inside the building. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause very much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate," the email read.
It also said, "You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs. If I do not receive 30,000 dollar. The group =E2=80=9CKNR=E2=80=9D is behind this attack," it reads.
In a message to parents, Mother Mary's School, Mayur Vihar, said, "An email was received this morning regarding a bomb threat in school. As such, the students are being dispersed immediately as a precautionary measure. You are requested to kindly collect your wards from your respective bus stops.
While taking his daughter back from the school, Harish, one of the parents, told PTI Videos, "I received a message about emergency from the school. This is the failure of the government as the schools are getting such threats regularly."
In May, more than 200 schools, hospitals and other important government installations in the city received a similar kind of bomb threat but the case is yet to solved as the mail was sent using Virtual Private Network (VPN).
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Israel's top general resigns citing security failures during Oct 7 attack
Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AP): Israel's top general resigned on Tuesday, citing the security and intelligence failures related to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel meanwhile launched a large operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least six people, according to Palestinian officials.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security breakdown on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led members carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities for hours.
The attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the group abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still being held in Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Halevi's resignation came just says into a fragile ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the war and the return of the remaining captives.
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel's Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also tendered his resignation.
The resignation of the two senior generals will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the October 7 failures, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose leadership could be implicated — has said must wait until the war is over.
Halevi had also appeared to be at odds with Israel's new defence minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war, with Halevi saying Israel had accomplished most of its goals and Katz echoing Netanyahu's vow to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas.
In his letter of resignation, Halevi said the military, under his command, had “failed in its mission to defend the State of Israel" when Hamas attacked but had made “significant achievements” in the ensuing war, which rippled across the Middle East.
Halevi, who began what was meant to be a three-year term in January 2023 said his resignation would go into effect March 6.
