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Package with bomb elements found at Canadian defense HQ

08 May 2013 22:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Canada's Police has detonated a suspicious package found Tuesday at an entrance to Department of National Defense headquarters building in downtown Ottawa, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported Wednesday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

CBC, quoting police sources, said that the package contained elements consistent with an improvised explosive device (IED) but was not a threat to the public.

CBC said that police responded with a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives team at about 3:15 ET Tuesday afternoon as the package was found at the north entrance to the building.

The north tower of the building was evacuated, traffic nearby was shutdown and a robot was used to remove the package and X-ray it.

The scans revealed dense material that could have been explosives, something that looked like it could have been a power source and some wires. All three things are consistent with LEDs, a police source said.

Police used what's called a water bottle charge -- which contains a small amount of explosive -- to blast the package and make it safe.

A joint investigation by Police and the Ministry of Defense is ongoing.

Defense Minister Peter MacKay said on Wednesday that he's working closely with law enforcement to learn more about the incident.

"I don't want to get into speculation until we get a full picture on what this package was and what was behind it," he added.

Vic Toews, Public Safety Minister, said Wednesday at a news conference in the Parliament building that he could not brief any details at present point, but stressed that people should be always be vigilant.

"We're living in a new world where there are dangers," he said. "Our security agencies are very vigilant in trying to determine any possible dangers before they actually are realized, even in terms of any device on the street if I can say that.".