by Our Correspondent in New Delhi
Indian officials have confirmed that the powerful blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, which killed at least 13 people and injured several others, was a coordinated act of terrorism, according to reports in Indian media citing senior security sources. The announcement comes after intensive investigations and follows the recovery of a large cache of explosives in Faridabad, just outside the national capital.
The explosion occurred around 6:45 p.m. near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station, destroying a parked vehicle and igniting several nearby cars. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with thick smoke billowing across the area and panic spreading among evening commuters. “There was a loud boom and fire everywhere — cars were burning, people were running,” said local resident Rajdhar Pandey.
Forensic teams and the National Security Guard’s bomb disposal unit have recovered fragments consistent with a remote-detonated improvised explosive device. Initial reports of a CNG cylinder blast have been ruled out. Delhi Police have heightened security across metro stations, markets, and key government buildings while scanning CCTV footage and coordinating with intelligence agencies.
In a related operation, police in Faridabad, in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, recovered 350 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate explosives, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, magazines, timers, a walkie-talkie set, and ammunition from a rented house in Dhauj village. A doctor from Jammu and Kashmir was arrested during the raid, authorities said.
The seizure follows the earlier arrest of Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather, a Kashmiri doctor detained in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly posting banners supporting the banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar. Rather reportedly disclosed information leading police to another doctor, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel from Pulwama, who rented the Faridabad house where the explosives were found. Shakeel was arrested on Sunday in a coordinated raid.
Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta clarified that the explosives were ammonium nitrate, not RDX, as initially reported. “We are investigating how such a large quantity of explosives was transported and stored so close to the national capital,” he said, adding that both suspects remain in custody as further questioning continues.
Authorities are now probing whether the Faridabad cache was intended for use in the Red Fort blast or part of a broader plot. Delhi Police have urged heightened vigilance and said no angle is being ruled out, as the capital city remains on high alert in the wake of what Indian media describe as a sophisticated terrorist operation.
