Deadly Delhi Blast: Over 2 Kg Ammonium Nitrate Used in Red Fort Attack by Doctor-Turned-Terrorist

New Delhi:

Investigating agencies have revealed that over 2 kg of ammonium nitrate was utilized in the devastating explosion near Delhi's Red Fort this week, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Sources indicated that Umar Nabi, who drove the vehicle that exploded on November 10 resulting in 13 fatalities, possessed expertise in bomb manufacturing.

Based on 52 explosive samples collected by the forensic team, investigators believe Umar likely created the explosive device using a combination of ammonium nitrate, petroleum, and detonating materials.

Forensic experts have determined that such explosives can be assembled in approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Security agencies are investigating the possibility that Umar Nabi prepared the explosive device at a nearby parking facility, where his vehicle remained stationary for over three hours before the explosion.

Surveillance records show he entered the parking area at 3:19 pm and departed at 6:28 pm, roughly thirty minutes before his Hyundai i20 halted at a traffic signal near Red Fort Metro Station and detonated, killing thirteen individuals, wounding more than 20 others, and damaging multiple vehicles in the crowded vicinity.

According to sources, Umar, a Kashmiri doctor associated with Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, initially intended to detonate the explosive near the Red Fort parking area, a popular tourist destination with a bustling marketplace. However, he reportedly "panicked" following the apprehension of his associates and the significant seizure of explosives in Faridabad, and was unaware that Red Fort, commonly known as Lal Qila, remains closed on Mondays. Upon arriving at the parking area, he observed the absence of crowds.

After waiting for three hours, he drove onto Netaji Subhash Marg, which borders Red Fort on one side and Chandni Chowk on the other, before detonating the car at the traffic signal.

Nabi became alarmed after the arrest of his two colleagues, Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Shaheen Saeed, who also practiced medicine at Al Falah University and were apprehended in connection with a broader investigation into a 'white collar' terror network.

Prior to the Red Fort explosion, Jammu and Kashmir Police had announced their success in dismantling an interstate and transnational "white collar" terror operation linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization.

They also reported seizing 2,900 kilograms of explosive materials and arresting seven individuals.