New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday described the car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort as a “heinous terror incident,” warning that
its repercussions “have the potential to become something broader.” Rubio said the explosion, involving a Hyundai i20, was “clearly” a terrorist attack and praised India for its “measured” and “professional” approach in handling the investigation. A powerful blast outside Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday claimed at least 13 lives. On Wednesday, India condemned the car explosion, calling it a “heinous terror incident." In remarks to the press in Canada's Hamilton, Rubio said, "Yeah, we’re aware of the potential that that holds. But I think the Indians are – need to be commended; they have been very measured and cautious and very professional in how they’re carrying out this investigation." "That investigation continues. Clearly, it was a terrorist attack. It was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed a lot of people,” Rubio said. When asked about rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the four-day conflict between the neighbours in May, Rubio said, “I think they’re doing a very good job with the investigation and once they have the facts, they’ll share them.” "But clearly, we’re aware of the potential that it has, and so we spoke about that a little bit today – the potential that it has to become something broader. But I think we’re going to wait and see what their investigation reveals,” Rubio said, according to news agency PTI. India launched Operation Sindoor to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The on-ground hostilities concluded after both sides ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between their Directors General of Military Operations on May 10. Rubio also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara. Rubio said that the US has offered to help, but "I think they’re very capable in these investigations. They don’t need our help. They’re doing a good job, and I thought they were very measured and professional in how they’ve approached it, as they usually are.”
