Delhi Red Fort blast kills 13: What happened as police invoke ‘terror’ law?

At slightest 13 radical were killed and much than 20 others wounded aft a car exploded successful New Delhi, India’s capital, connected Monday night.

Security forces person been placed connected precocious alert crossed large states and cities arsenic authorities person launched an probe into the origin of the blast.

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• list 1 of 1Indian constabulary invoke ‘terrorism’ instrumentality aft Delhi blast kills 9 people

What happened successful New Delhi?

At astir 18:52 section clip (13:52 GMT), a powerful, high-intensity blast tore done a crowded vicinity successful New Delhi during the evening unreserved hour.

According to Delhi Police, the detonation originated successful a moving Hyundai i20 car.

“A slow-moving conveyance stopped astatine a reddish light. An detonation happened successful that vehicle, and owed to the explosion, adjacent vehicles were besides damaged,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.

Images from the country amusement shattered windows, mangled conveyance parts, and plumes of occurrence and fume rising from burning cars.

Police aboriginal detained the archetypal proprietor of the car, identified arsenic Mohammad Salman, successful Gurugram, Haryana, who bought the conveyance successful 2013. Investigators said Salman had subsequently sold the conveyance to different antheral successful New Delhi, who successful crook sold the car recently. The idiosyncratic Salman sold the car to has besides been arrested. However, the car was inactive registered successful Salman’s sanction and carried a Haryana fig plate, according to section media reports.

Delhi Police person invoked India’s superior counter-terrorism law, registering a lawsuit nether Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), on with applicable provisions of the Explosives Act.

This means that adjacent though officials person yet to formally corroborate the origin of the blast oregon sanction suspects, they look to beryllium treating the detonation arsenic a imaginable enactment of terrorism, not conscionable a regular transgression oregon accidental blast.

Where did the blast happen?

The detonation occurred successful a densely populated portion of Old Delhi, adjacent the Red Fort Metro Station.

The blast took spot astatine a postulation awesome adjacent to the entranceway of the metro presumption serving the iconic Red Fort (locally known arsenic Lal Qila) – 1 of the city’s astir renowned Mughal-era monuments.

The tract lies astatine a engaged intersection linking the Red Fort with the bustling Chandni Chowk market, wherever the interaction of the detonation was felt.

The Red Fort itself, constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan successful 1546 AD, is an architectural masterpiece that blends Islamic, Persian, Timurid, and Hindu plan traditions.

The Red Fort besides holds heavy nationalist value due to the fact that it was from its ramparts that India’s archetypal Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered the country’s Independence Day code connected August 15, 1947, marking the extremity of British assemblage rule.

Since then, each twelvemonth connected Independence Day, the Indian premier curate hoists the nationalist emblem and addresses the federation from the aforesaid spot. This contented makes the fort a surviving awesome of India’s sovereignty and freedom.

The beforehand compound of the 17th period Mughal-era Red Fort monument is decorated successful India’s nationalist colors for the country’s Independence Day celebrations successful New Delhi [Manish Swarup/AP]

What’s the backdrop to the explosion?

The detonation occurred hours aft constabulary revealed that they had arrested a Kashmiri doc from Faridabad, besides successful Haryana, connected charges of plotting a “terrorist” attack.

Haryana constabulary said, successful a statement, that they had recovered 2,900kg of explosives, 20 timers, 2 twelve distant controls, a rifle, and dozens of unrecorded rounds from the premises of the location wherever the doc lived. Seven different radical accused of helping the doc were besides arrested.

However, Indian authorities person truthful acold not confirmed immoderate nexus betwixt the arrested doc and the detonation connected Monday.

What is the latest connected the ground?

Police person intensified information checks crossed the city, with peculiar absorption connected railway stations, wherever incoming vehicles are being thoroughly inspected.

According to section media reports, large bid stations crossed India – including those successful Mumbai, the country’s fiscal capital, and successful Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi – person besides been placed connected precocious alert arsenic a precautionary measure.

Videos shared online amusement the wreckage of respective cars scattered on a crowded thoroughfare successful Delhi’s aged quarter, arsenic constabulary moved successful to unafraid the country and disperse onlookers.

According to New Delhi’s lawman occurrence chief, the detonation ignited six vehicles and 3 autorickshaws.

Meanwhile, arsenic authorities respond to the explosion, voters successful the eastbound state of Bihar are heading to the polls successful the 2nd and last signifier of authorities elections, marking a important governmental lawsuit unfolding alongside heightened nationalist information concerns.

Security unit and members of the forensic squad enactment astatine the tract of an detonation adjacent the historical Red Fort [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

What person witnesses said?

As panic and disorder swept done Old Delhi pursuing the explosion, eyewitnesses described scenes of fearfulness and chaos.

“Suddenly determination was a dependable of a blast,” Irfan, a witnesser successful Delhi, told Al Jazeera.

“We came running, and we didn’t get excessively adjacent due to the fact that we were scared, we saw someone’s manus connected the ground, they were wholly blown up.”

“I saw someone’s lungs, and I besides saw a car’s steering instrumentality wholly damaged. I conscionable cannot express, can’t ideate however their families volition woody with this. I cannot picture however large the blast was,” helium added.

Separately, relatives of radical injured oregon missing were trying to way down their loved ones.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Nazish Malik said his brother-in-law, Mohsin, an e-rickshaw driver, was missing aft the blast.

“After much than a 100 calls connected his phone, yet idiosyncratic answered and said that the telephone is astatine the constabulary station astatine the Red Fort and your comparative has been taken to Lok Nayak Hospital,” Malik said.

“When we heard that, we rushed present and got present astir 8:30pm. My member was already here. I got present late, but recovered that the information was truthful tight, they are not permitting america to spell inside,” helium added.

“At slightest denote who is captious and who is dead. You tin astatine slightest pass that bit,” helium said.

A comparative of Dinesh Misra, who died successful a deadly detonation adjacent the historical Red Fort successful the aged quarters of Delhi [Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters]

What person been the reactions?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said helium had been briefed astir the onslaught by Home Minister Amit Shah and expressed condolences for the lives lost.

Condolences to those who person mislaid their loved ones successful the blast successful Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured retrieve astatine the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the concern with Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and different officials.@AmitShah

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 10, 2025

Shah said each possibilities were being investigated, with apical agencies involved.

Pained beyond words by the nonaccomplishment of lives successful a blast successful Delhi. My deepest condolences to those who person mislaid their loved ones. Have visited the blast tract and besides met the injured successful the hospital. My prayers for their speedy recovery.

Top agencies are investigating the incident…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 10, 2025

Israel’s envoy besides expressed his condolences.

Heartbreaking scenes successful Delhi pursuing the car blast resulting successful truthful galore dormant and injured. Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Wishing speedy betterment to those who survived.
Praise for the rescuers & information forces.
🇮🇱❤️🇮🇳

— 🇮🇱 Reuven Azar (@ReuvenAzar) November 11, 2025

The Embassy of Egypt likewise extended its condolences to the victims and their families.

On behalf of the People and Government of the Arab Republic of #Egypt, we widen our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by the #RedFort blast. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved, and we privation each injured a swift and implicit recovery.

— Egyptian Embassy successful India (@EgyptinIndia) November 10, 2025

The United Kingdom issued a question advisory pursuing the explosion, portion the US Embassy successful India released a information alert and extended its condolences.“Our sincere condolences to the families who mislaid their loved ones. We commune for the swift betterment of those injured,” the US authorities said.

India: On Nov. 10, a car exploded adjacent the Lal Quila (Red Fort) metro presumption successful cardinal Delhi, India, with section media reporting aggregate casualties.
While the origin of the detonation is chartless astatine this time, the Government of India has placed respective Indian states connected precocious alert.… pic.twitter.com/4E44MxxIkT

— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) November 10, 2025

Has Delhi faced attacks successful the past?

Yes, Delhi has been the people of aggregate weaponry explosions and equipped attacks implicit the years — but not successful implicit a decade.

• September 2011: Fifteen radical were killed aft a briefcase weaponry exploded extracurricular Delhi High Court. Pakistan-based equipped radical Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility.
• September 2008: The Indian superior was rocked by 2 antithetic sets of weaponry attacks. First, connected September 13, 5 bombs ripped done crowded markets arsenic radical shopped for large festivals that were upcoming. The bombs killed 33 people. A radical called the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility. Then, conscionable 2 weeks later, 2 much bombs exploded, sidesplitting 3 different people.
• October 2005: Three devastating blasts crossed antithetic parts of the metropolis killed 70 people. Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Taiba claimed responsibility.
• December 2001: Fighters from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed equipped radical attacked the Indian parliament successful an audacious onslaught that brought the atomic equipped neighbours to the brink of war. Thirteen radical were killed.
• December 2000: Three radical were killed successful an onslaught astatine Red Fort by Lashkar-e-Taiba fighters.

Have different places successful India faced large attacks?

Yes, Indian cities person been targets of large attacks by equipped groups, often associated with Kashmir’s secessionist struggle. India has successful astir cases blamed Pakistan-based equipped groups and Pakistan’s quality services of orchestrating these attacks.

These equipped groups person successful respective cases claimed work themselves, and successful immoderate cases, Indian authorities person captured immoderate of the accused individuals.

Here are immoderate of the deadliest attacks successful India extracurricular Delhi.

• November 2008, Mumbai: More than 170 radical died and implicit 300 were injured successful attacks carried retired by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian authorities captured 1 of the perpetrators alive.
• July 2008, Ahmedabad: Seventeen bombs exploded successful antithetic parts of the occidental Indian city, sidesplitting 56 people. Police blamed 2 antithetic equipped groups.
• May 2008, Jaipur: More than 70 radical died successful 9 explosions successful the superior of India’s occidental authorities of Rajasthan. Authorities blamed the Indian Mujahideen, a home-grown equipped group.
• February 2007, Haryana: Seventy radical — mostly Pakistani civilians — died aft bombs blew up the Samjhauta Express, which connected India and Pakistan. Authorities accused a far-right Hindu group, Abhinav Bharat, of carrying retired the attack. But successful 2019, nether Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule, each accused were acquitted.
• September 2006, Malegaon: Explosions adjacent a mosque successful Malegaon, a metropolis successful the occidental authorities of Maharashtra, killed astatine slightest 45 people. Authorities blamed the Abhinav Bharat group, but each accused were aboriginal acquitted.
• July 2006, Mumbai: More than 200 radical were killed erstwhile a bid of bombs exploded connected aggregate trains of the suburban obstruction web that millions of radical usage regular successful India’s fiscal capital. Authorities blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, but each Indian nationals who were arrested, person present been acquitted.
• March 1993, Mumbai: In the azygous deadliest onslaught successful autarkic India’s history, aggregate bombs exploded crossed the city, sidesplitting much than 250 people. Police blamed Indian fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides for the attack.

• May 1991, Sriperumbudur: Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was blown up by a termination bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during an predetermination run rally. Fifteen radical died.

A “Do Not Cross Line” ribbon cordons disconnected an country adjacent the tract of a car detonation adjacent to the historical Red Fort [Associated Press]