Startling details have come to light regarding the terrorist attack that took place near the Red Fort in Delhi in November last year. Investigations indicate that “Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent” (AQIS) had a hand in the terror attack that occurred near Delhi’s Red Fort in November 2026. Reports have stated that in recent times, AQIS has transformed from a single terrorist outfit into a broader regional terrorist organisation.
AQIS has also built logistical and financial networks to support its operations. The report expressed particular concern regarding Bangladesh, noting that AQIS could use Bangladesh as a base to establish new terror cells there. The chargesheet filed by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) also revealed the connection between AQIS and its affiliate, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). In May 2026, the NIA filed a chargesheet running to nearly 7,500 pages before the special court at Patiala House. This chargesheet identified 10 accused, including the main accused Dr. Umar-un-Nabi, as having links to AGuH.
The car bomb explosion near the Red Fort in November 2025 killed 11 people and left several others injured. The case was initially investigated by the Delhi Police before being taken over by the NIA. During the investigation, the NIA identified the deceased accused, Dr. Umar-un-Nabi, through DNA fingerprinting. Umar-un-Nabi was a resident of Pulwama and worked as an assistant professor of medicine at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
In its investigation, the NIA stated that this entire group was part of a larger jihadi conspiracy. Some of the accused were medical professionals who had been influenced by AQIS and AGuH. The investigation revealed that a secret meeting had taken place in Srinagar in 2022. The explosive used in the blast near the Red Fort was triacetone triperoxide, or TATP. The investigation found that the accused had procured the materials needed to prepare this explosive compound and had conducted several experiments in the process. The accused had also procured various weapons, including AK-47s, Krinkov rifles, and locally manufactured pistols, along with live ammunition. The investigation further revealed that the accused were experimenting with IEDs capable of being launched via rockets and drones. It emerged during the investigation that their intention was to target security establishments in Jammu and Kashmir as well as other parts of the country.
The NIA has expanded its investigation into the Red Fort attack to cover Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi-NCR. The chargesheet in this case was filed on the basis of statements from 588 witnesses and hundreds of pieces of evidence, and 11 people have been arrested so far. The investigation found that the module behind this conspiracy involved radicalising medical professionals and students and organising them into small cells, along with efforts to manufacture rocket- and drone-based explosives — a serious and elaborate plot. With AQIS attempting to expand its network across South Asia through Bangladesh, Indian security agencies have been placed on alert. It is against this backdrop that R&AW Secretary Parag Jain recently visited Bangladesh. Investigating agencies continue to search for the remaining accused who are still at large.