Al-Qaeda Offshoot Behind Delhi's Red Fort Blast That Killed 15: UN Report
Al-Qaeda Offshoot Behind Delhi's Red Fort Blast That Killed 15: UN Report
M.U.H
13/08/202639
New Delhi: The Red Fort terror blast in Delhi last year that killed 15 people has now been officially linked to the offshoot Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) body monitoring counter-terrorism sanctions said in its report.
The attack took place in November last year on a day when 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, were found just 50 km from the capital, in neighbouring Haryana's Faridabad. Umar Mohammad, the suicide bomber, reportedly panicked and triggered the blast after investigators arrested two key members of the module - Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather - and seized the explosives.
The UN body's report, published this week, said that AQIS continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity. Instead of forming large terrorist groups, the organisation adopted a strategy of expanding its network through small, separate cells, it said.
According to the report, the offshoot Al-Qaeda has also established logistical and financial networks for its operations.
Concerns about Bangladesh
The UNSC specifically expressed concern about Bangladesh, saying that the AQIS may attempt to use the neighbouring country to establish new terrorist cells. This disclosure is significant because India has consistently expressed concern about the growing radicalisation and terrorist networks in Bangladesh.
Al-Qaeda and ISIL (Da'esh)'s growing interest
The UNSC assessment highlighted broader concerns over the activities and capabilities of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIL/Da'esh) affiliates - who have shown a sustained interest over many years in developing chemical and biological weapons, but so far have failed to overcome the associated technical challenges. Instructions on how to develop such weapons have been shared widely within online terrorist communities, it said.
"For example, in February, ISIL (Da'esh)'s English-language Invade magazine included instructions on how to develop botulinum toxin and cyanide," the report said.
Delhi Red Fort blast case
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) filed a voluminous 7,500-page chargesheet against 10 accused in connection with the blast near Red Fort in Delhi on 10 November, 2025. The chargesheet named 10 individuals linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) - a designated offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
During the investigation, NIA uncovered evidence suggesting that some of the accused, including medical professionals, were radicalised and actively involved in reviving the AGuH network.
The AQIS and its affiliates were notified as a terrorist organisation by the Home Ministry in 2018.
The investigation further revealed that the blast was carried out using Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive allegedly manufactured by the accused after secretly procuring chemicals and conducting repeated experiments.
The terror module's activities were not limited to Delhi. According to the probe agency, the accused were preparing to expand their network to other major parts of the country.
