UNSC attributes Red Fort blast to Al-Qaida, echoes NIA findings

The UNSC has officially attributed the November 2025 Red Fort blast to Al-Qaida's Indian subcontinent wing, AQIS. This validates India's NIA probe, as noted by former J&K DGP SP Vaid, who highlighted the radicalisation of educated youth.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has officially attributed the November 2025 blast near Delhi's iconic Red Fort, which killed 11 people and injured over two dozen others, to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), according to the 38th report of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

UNSC Validation Echoes NIA Probe: Former J&K DGP

Reacting to the UNSC's validation, former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid highlighted that the international body's findings closely echo the investigation previously established by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA). Speaking to ANI, Vaid said, "The UN Security Council is echoing what our NIA stated: that this specific module, a module involving doctors, where one doctor acted as a suicide bomber and triggered a blast at the Red Fort, resulting in significant loss of life, was indeed linked to them... We see that pan-Islamic organisations, Al-Qaeda, have come into focus here. Prior to this, an ISIS module was discovered in Keralam. This demonstrates that these pan-Islamic organisations have penetrated India; online radicalisation is taking place. Regarding this doctors' module, these were educated, well-established, and well-paid young men from good families; the way they were radicalised, recruited into the module, and exploited reveals a conspiracy against India. Essentially, this is known as 'Ansar-ul-Ghazwa-ul-Hind'; it is effectively Al-Qaeda's operation in South Asia. They are attempting to establish bases in India and Bangladesh. However, if you delve deeper, I believe Pakistan's ISI is behind this too. The progenitor is the same; the various entities are merely different heads of the same snake..."

Proactive Policing Crucial to Neutralise Sleeper Cells: Ex-UP DGP

Mirroring similar concerns over cross-border conspiracies and internal radicalisation, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Arvind Kumar Jain emphasised the need for proactive ground-level policing and intelligence gathering to neutralise sleeper cells. "It was already clear that external forces were behind it, evident from the manner of the attack, the preparations made, the involvement of highly educated individuals from the Muslim community, the funding methods, and the way raw materials were procured. All these factors indicated a major conspiracy aimed at destabilising our country. Al-Qaeda, specifically its Indian Subcontinent offshoot, AQIS, is active here and remains a persistent threat. The police and intelligence agencies must stay two steps ahead to keep them in check. Eliminating sleeper cells, gathering real-time intelligence, and working at the ground level are crucial. Local police stations need to be proactive, build credibility within the community, and gather intelligence. The intelligence regarding this case was developed by a police station in J&K, which led to the exposure of the entire network," Jain stated to ANI.

Details from the UNSC Report

According to the UNSC report published on Monday, AQIS has continued to evolve from a fragmented organisation into a regional terrorist entity, developing logistics and financial networks while operating through decentralised, small and scattered cells. "Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS, not listed) continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity; it established logistics and financial networks, working in decentralised, small, scattered cells instead of large units," the report read, while expressing concern over attempts by the outfit to exploit Bangladesh to establish operational bases.

This assessment marks a significant development in the official attribution of the Red Fort attack, which had earlier been linked by a UN Member State to Jaish-i-Mohammed (JiM). According to the UNSC Monitoring Team's 37th report, one Member State had previously stated that JiM claimed responsibility for a series of attacks and was reported to be linked to the November 2025 Red Fort attack. The deadly blast occurred in New Delhi in November 2025 at around 7 pm, when an explosion ripped through a moving Hyundai i20 near the Red Fort. The vehicle was allegedly being driven by Umar Un Nabi, who is suspected of having attacked a suicide bomber and was killed in the explosion alongside 11 victims.

Concerns Over Unconventional Weapons

Connecting the attack to broader global concerns, the latest UNSC report highlighted the sustained capabilities and dangerous intent of Al-Qaida and Islamic State (ISIL/Da'esh) affiliates to acquire unconventional weapons. The report noted that while Al-Qaida and ISIL have shown a sustained interest over many years in developing chemical and biological weapons, they have so far failed to overcome technical challenges. However, instructions on developing chemical and biological agents continue to circulate widely across online terrorist networks.

"Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da'esh) have shown a sustained interest over many years in developing chemical and biological weapons but so far have failed to overcome the associated technical challenges. Instructions on how to develop such weapons have been shared widely within online terrorist communities," the report stated. The report cited material allegedly published by ISIL's English-language Invade magazine in February, including instructions relating to botulinum toxin and cyanide. Furthermore, the Monitoring Team noted that ISIL-K has shown a particular interest in ricin, circulating development instructions over the past 12 months.

Legal Proceedings in the Case

On the legal front, the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi has listed the NIA's chargesheet in the November 2025 Red Fort car blast case for taking cognisance on August 27. The move comes after the agency filed a comprehensive 7,500-page chargesheet against 11 accused persons suspected to be behind the terror attack. The prosecution's complaint runs into thousands of pages and cites more than 580 witnesses. (ANI)

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