Gunmen on motorbikes shot at a tourist bus near the main mosque in the Indian capital on Sunday, wounding two Taiwanese visitors in an attack only weeks before the city hosts the Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games is seen as a showcase event for India as it emerges onto the global economic and diplomatic stage. Some militant groups have threatened to disrupt the Games.
"The two men were wearing helmets and raincoats. They fired indiscriminately at a tourist bus before escaping," K. Singh, a senior police officer in Delhi, told Reuters.
Security has been tightened in the capital ahead of the Games, with authorities mindful of militant attacks
in Indian cities over recent years in which dozens have been killed.
Police would not confirm whether militants were behind the attack near the historic mosque, one of the most popular tourist sites in the capital.
The condition of the two wounded tourists was not immediately known. The foreigners were Taiwanese, police said.
"There was some firing outside gate number 3 of Jama Masjid (Delhi’s main mosque)," Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told Reuters. "We can’t say (whether it was a militant attack)."
There have been some militant attacks in India this year.
In February, a powerful blast ripped through a restaurant in the western city of Pune, killing 17 people. India has blamed the Indian Mujahideen, a homegrown militant group with links to militants in Pakistan, for the Pune attack.
Worries over safetyIndian officials have promised that the Games, dogged by delays and overspending, would be secure amid persistent worries over safety from participating nations, notably Britain and Australia.
Chief minister of New Delhi Sheila Dikshit confirmed the firing and appealed for calm.
"It’s a very sad incident," she told NDTV news channel. "I appeal to everybody: please do not panic. An incident like this is worrying but nothing to panic about."
Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said that the remaining tourists on the bus were safe and "we have launched a manhunt for the attackers and intensified security".
The Commonwealth Games, a four-yearly event organized by the 54-member organization of mainly former British colonies, begin on Oct. 3.
India remains jittery about a perceived threat of Islamist attacks from Pakistani territory. It accuses its neighbor of failing to act against militant groups.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Peace talks between longtime rivals India and Pakistan were halted after the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba that killed 166 people.