Exposed: Jaish-e-Mohammed's Operational Network in India Following Delhi Red Fort Blast

Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group founder Masood Azhar (File).

New Delhi:

Officials familiar with the Delhi Red Fort car blast investigation told NDTV Tuesday they are examining all possible connections between the terrorists involved and Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Jaish-e-Mohammed was established between 1999 and 2000 by Masood Azhar following his release in the IC-814 hostage exchange. Operating from Pakistan's Bahawalpur, the group stands accused of numerous attacks on Indian soil, including the 2001 Parliament assault and the 2019 attack on a military convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.

Despite retaliatory strikes that intelligence sources claim destroyed infrastructure and eliminated senior leadership, including Abdul Rauf Azhar (Masood Azhar's younger brother who orchestrated the IC-814 hijacking), the organization continues to thrive largely due to support from Pakistan's deep state.

The group maintains significant operations in India despite regular raids and arrests by Indian security and anti-terrorism agencies. In December last year, the NIA conducted raids across 19 locations in J&K and four states based on intelligence about terrorist propaganda activities.

Jaish's leadership structure in India remains deliberately nebulous and decentralized, making it difficult to identify and eliminate. On the ground, field commanders, often Pakistani nationals, serve as high-ranking operatives assigned to lead attacks in J&K and other states.

These commanders are classified as high-value targets (HVTs). For instance, in July 2025, J&K Police Chief Nalin Prabhat reported that a 'top Jaish commander' was killed during a confrontation with security personnel.

The group also utilizes local sympathizers for logistical support. These individuals, designated as over ground workers (OGWs), play crucial roles in providing terrorist cells with weapons, intelligence, and financing. They often supply real-time information during attacks or create diversions to distract security forces at critical moments.

Intelligence sources revealed to NDTV that the four terrorists behind the Red Fort attack – three men and one woman operating under cover as doctors – likely belong to a Jaish terror module that infiltrated India following Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.

Three suspects – Adil Ahmad Rather, Mujammil Shakeel, and Shaheena Shahid – have been apprehended.

Shakeel was arrested in Haryana's Faridabad after J&K Police raided two residential buildings connected to him and recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosive materials, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate – the substance used in the Red Fort car bomb. Sources close to the investigation told NDTV the Red Fort attack may have been a panicked reaction to this arrest.

The fourth suspect – Umar Mohammed – is presumed dead from the blast. Preliminary forensic analysis indicates the ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil) bomb was manually detonated, and available CCTV footage shows no evidence of him leaving the vehicle after it entered Delhi Monday morning.

Investigators believe Shahid leads the India chapter of JeM's women's wing – Jamat ul-Muminat – which intelligence reports suggest was established in August 2025 to raise funds and recruit members following Operation Sindoor.

Part of the group's rebuilding strategy involved launching this women's wing under the leadership of Masood Azhar's younger sister, Sadiya Azhar. According to sources who spoke with NDTV, she and another sister, Samaira Azhar, conduct 40-minute 'online classes' to indoctrinate and recruit women to their cause.

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