Indian authorities have officially confirmed that the devastating car explosion outside Delhi's historic Red Fort, which claimed twelve lives, is being treated as a terrorist incident orchestrated by what they describe as "anti-national forces."
Cabinet Condemns "Dastardly and Cowardly" Attack
The cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a statement on Wednesday night condemning what it called a "dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives." The government vowed to deliver justice for those killed and reiterated India's policy of "zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms."
The explosion occurred during peak hours on Monday in one of Delhi's busiest areas, directly outside one of India's most significant landmarks. Witnesses described horrific scenes as the force of the blast from a car caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic threw bodies into the air and caused nearby vehicles to catch fire.
By Wednesday, the death toll had risen to twelve people after several victims succumbed to their injuries, while more than thirty others remain wounded. This represents the deadliest terrorist attack to strike Delhi in over a decade.
Investigation Expands with Anti-Terror Powers
India's National Investigation Agency, the country's premier anti-terrorism squad, has taken charge of the investigation. Police have filed a case under India's stringent anti-terror law, granting investigators expansive powers to conduct raids and make arrests.
Although the cabinet statement didn't specify the nature of the terrorism behind the attack, police earlier confirmed they had detained five individuals in Pulwama district within the disputed Kashmir region in connection with the explosion.
This development followed police claims of uncovering an "interstate and transnational terror" cell allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which operates primarily in India-administered Kashmir.
In raids conducted early Monday morning, authorities reportedly uncovered 2,900kg of explosive materials, along with chemicals, detonators, and firearms. At least seven people, including two Kashmiri doctors, were arrested during these operations targeting the alleged terror cell.
Regional Tensions Reach Boiling Point
Several sources briefing Indian media suggested investigators are examining whether the driver of the explosive-laden car was part of the same terror cell, and whether Monday's attack represented a panicked response to the earlier arrests and raids.
The Red Fort explosion marks the first major terror incident in India since the Pulwama attack in April, when gunmen targeted and killed more than twenty Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan for masterminding that attack and responded with cross-border missile strikes targeting what they claimed were JeM hideouts.
Pakistan denied involvement in the Pulwama incident and retaliated with its own missile and drone strikes, bringing the two nuclear-armed nations closer to war than they had been in decades before a US-led ceasefire halted hostilities.
In the aftermath of that confrontation, India repeatedly declared that any further terrorist acts on Indian soil would be considered an "act of war." With relations already at historic lows, India's confirmation of the Red Fort blast as a terrorism incident risks pushing both countries back toward full-scale hostilities that could further destabilise the region.
Adding to the regional volatility, a suicide bomber targeted a court complex in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, the day after the Delhi explosion, killing twelve people. While the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed "Indian state terrorism" for orchestrating the blast.
