Red Fort blast has similarity with 2019 Pulwama attack: Experts
What's the story
The car explosion near the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi on Monday has a similarity with the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, experts have said. Both incidents involved a slow-moving vehicle packed with explosives. In the Delhi blast, a Hyundai i20 was used, while a Maruti Eeco was employed in the Pulwama attack. The blast's epicenter was at Gate No. 1 Red Fort Metro station and occurred around 6:52pm. It killed as many as eight people and injured 20 others.
Owner
One of the car owners hailed from Pulwama
Coincidentally, one of the owners of the Hyundai i20 is a man from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, per reports. The Hyundai i20 was originally owned by Mohammad Salman, who was arrested on Monday night. The car was later purchased by Aamir, then Tariq, who hails from J&K's Pulwama. Investigators are tracing its sale trail to determine if it was still with Tariq or sold further.
Pulwama
Pulwama attack
One of India's worst terrorist attacks took place in Pulwama. On February 14, 2019, a military convoy traveling along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was targeted. A suicide bomber in a Maruti Eeco van carried out the attack, killing 40 soldiers as well as the terrorist, Adil Ahmad Dar. The Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack, to which India retaliated with precision military strikes that destroyed a training center and killed 300 to 350 terrorists.
Terror link
Vehicle sold to terror module member
Investigators are now probing a Faridabad-based terror module, which had been under surveillance for months for arms smuggling and terror financing. The vehicle was sold to Dr. Umar Mohammad, a known member of this module. He is believed to have been inside the car during the explosion in what could have been a suicide mission. A DNA test will confirm if it was indeed him.
Ongoing probe
3,000kg of explosives seized
The bomb occurred hours after police confiscated approximately 3,000kg of explosives from two residential houses in Faridabad, Haryana. The materials, which included 350kg of ammonium nitrate, a routinely used fertilizer that can be turned into a lethal bomb, were seized based on information obtained from arrested J&K doctor Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather. The blast also occurred shortly after another medical professional, Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, was arrested in Adalaj in Gujarat.
Global response
US offers support, Amit Shah says probe on
The United States has expressed concern over the incident and is ready to provide consular assistance. A State Department spokesperson said they were "closely monitoring the situation." Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said all angles are being investigated. He said until forensic analysis is done by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and National Security Guard (NSG), it would be difficult to ascertain anything conclusively. Security has been tightened across Delhi with additional deployments at key landmarks and transport hubs.