India’s federal anti-terror body, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), said it has arrested a man from Kashmir, Amir Rashid Ali, in connection with the car-bomb explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort earlier this month. The NIA says that the car used in the blast was registered in Ali’s name and that he allegedly travelled from the Jammu & Kashmir region to facilitate the purchase of the vehicle. Investigators have named the suspected suicide attacker as Umar Un Nabi (also spelled “Umer un Nabi”), a resident of Pulwama in Kashmir, who was reportedly the driver and operative behind the explosion.
The incident in brief
The explosion occurred near the Red Fort metro station in Old Delhi on 10 November 2025, killing at least eight people (though some reports say 10–12) and injuring more than 20 to 30 others. The vehicle was described by investigators as a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED)”. Following the blast, the Indian government declared the incident a terrorist act perpetrated by “anti-national forces”.
What the arrests reveal so far
- Amir Rashid Ali is cited as the individual in whose name the vehicle was registered and who allegedly enabled the purchase in Delhi for the attack.
- Umar Un Nabi is identified as the alleged driver/suicide bomber. Reports indicate he was a medical college professor in Faridabad before the blast.
- Authorities have seized another car believed to be associated with Nabi and are investigating whether multiple vehicles and accomplices were involved.
- A second vehicle (a red Ford EcoSport) is reportedly being investigated in parallel, suggesting a broader network may be involved.
Why the location matters
The blast site — the area around the Red Fort — is not just a crowded tourist and heritage zone, but also a symbolic seat of India’s national identity: the prime minister raises the flag there on Independence Day. A successful attack in this zone has both tactical impact (crowd casualties) and symbolic implications, which likely explains the government’s rapid designation of the incident as terrorism.
What remains to be determined
- What the motive was: While the NIA has identified suspects and assets, they have not publicly detailed the ideological or organisational backing behind the attack.
- Whether the blast was planned primarily as suicide terrorism, or whether the bomber acted prematurely or under pressure from a larger network.
- How many others were involved: With the seizure of an additional car and multiple Kashmir-linked associates being interrogated, the probe is still ongoing.
- The link (if any) to cross-border networks or militant groups. Some media reports suggest possible connections to groups operating from or via Kashmir, although official attribution is still cautious.
Domestic & security implications
- The incident has triggered a nationwide security alert: the capital region and surrounding states have been put on heightened guard.
- The government has emphasised that such acts will be treated as “acts of war” if the perpetrators are state-sponsored or cross-border.
- For law-enforcement, the case underscores how explosive materials, vehicle procurement and sleeper operatives may be embedded in seemingly normal networks and require intelligence-based disruption.
The path ahead
The NIA will now focus on:
- Building a full conspiracy-chain — tracing procurement, financing, participation and communication links.
- Interrogating arrested aides, analysing seized vehicles and materials.
- Identifying any foreign linkages or state-sponsored dimensions, which could influence diplomatic and security policy.
- Proposing legislative or procedural reforms, possibly in vehicle-tracking, explosive-material regulation or surveillance of suspect cells.
