New Delhi: A high-intensity blast ripped through a car parked near the Red Fort Monday evening, setting off a major fire that engulfed multiple vehicles and shattered nearby window panes. At the time of filing this story, eight people were killed and 24 were injured in the blast. The death toll might change given the intensity of the blast.
Terror attacks averted in Faridabad, Hyderabad
The explosion comes just days after two major terror plots were foiled in Faridabad, near Delhi, and in Hyderabad. The operations led to the arrests of three medical professionals and the seizure of large quantities of explosives, firearms, and chemicals used to make the deadly toxin ricin.
November 9, in Faridabad, Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on intelligence inputs, arrested two doctors — Adil Ahmed Rather and Mujammil Shakeel — and recovered 350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, detonators, timers, and two assault rifles with ammunition. A third medical professional, a woman, is under investigation after police found two guns and ammunition in her car.
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Police said Rather, who previously worked at the Government Medical College in Anantnag, was linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. Shakeel was employed at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad. Their alleged network extended from Kashmir to the National Capital Region, highlighting what officials described as a “white-collar” terror module using professionals for logistical and operational roles.
Massive explosives haul raises concerns
The ammonium nitrate recovered from the Faridabad site was reportedly packed for assembly into improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Police also seized timers and assault rifles, indicating possible preparation for coordinated attacks. The intended targets have not yet been identified.
Investigators are now following the money trail linked to the duo, suspecting a wider financing network with cross-border ties. The arrests have heightened security concerns in Delhi, where the recovered materials could have been used for high-impact explosions.
Gujarat ATS busts ricin, arms plot
In a separate case, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) November 9 arrested Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 30-year-old medical practitioner who claimed to have studied in China. Officers found him in possession of three handguns, 30 rounds of ammunition, and four litres of castor oil — the key ingredient used to produce ricin, a highly lethal chemical agent.
Investigators said Saiyed’s handler had known links to the Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP), a regional affiliate of ISIS. Two accomplices, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem, were also arrested. The group had allegedly scouted locations in Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad as potential attack sites.
When arrested near Adalaj in Gandhinagar, Saiyed was carrying two Glock pistols and a Beretta pistol. Gujarat ATS officials said the accused also confessed to receiving arms shipments from Pakistan via drone drops.
Cross-border, ISIS links under probe
Officials are examining whether the arms and explosives seizures in Faridabad and Gujarat are part of a coordinated network backed by Pakistan-based groups.
An intelligence report from October cited a developing alliance between Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Islamic State–Khorasan Province, allegedly supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Though the motive behind Monday’s blast in Delhi remains under investigation, the timing — following major arms seizures and terror arrests — has put national security agencies on high alert.
Capital under tight security
As forensic teams combed through the blast site near Red Fort, security personnel were deployed across sensitive locations, including metro stations, markets, and government complexes.
Senior officials said all angles are being examined, including any possible overlap between the recent terror arrests and the Delhi explosion.
