A deadly blast near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi has resulted in significant casualties, with at least eight dead and several injured. Authorities have launched a vigorous investigation, now led by the NIA, following directives from the Home Minister for an expedited report. The nature of the explosion is shedding light on a potentially altered terror playbook and raising suspicions of Pakistani involvement. Investigators have highlighted several anomalies: the absence of a blast crater, a horizontal force distribution, a substantial fire, and a vehicle that, while burned, remained largely intact. These characteristics are indicative of a low-intensity explosive, specifically ANFO, which demands advanced detonation techniques. Historically, ANFO has been utilized by groups such as the LTTE, the Afghan Taliban, and ISKP, an organization significantly active in Pakistan. The focus is now shifting towards ISKP as a prime suspect, considering evolving regional dynamics. Intelligence streams have consistently suggested a nexus between Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, and ISKP. There are allegations that Pakistan’s military and ISI may have been leveraging ISKP’s explosive capabilities, possibly in conjunction with groups like JeM and LeT. The profiles of the individuals involved in the blast—educated doctors—mirror ISKP’s known strategy of radicalizing professionals. The 2019 Sri Lanka bombings, which also featured well-educated perpetrators and fertilizer-based explosives, are being studied for similar patterns, suggesting a possible shared terror network. Concurrent intelligence indicates a ramp-up in terror activities in Pakistan, with reports of meetings between Pakistani military, ISI, and various terror groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The possibility that the Red Fort attack was planned in these reactivated camps is a significant investigative avenue. The prolonged presence of Dr. Umar Nabi at the scene before the explosion is being thoroughly examined, with the theory that he might have been under remote command from across the border. The recent successful operations against terror modules in Faridabad and Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the arrest of radicalized doctors, may have created a sense of urgency, potentially leading Dr. Nabi to act impulsively.
