India's cabinet has officially labelled the car explosion near Delhi's Red Fort a terror attack and opened an investigation under a stringent anti-terror law. The blast killed at least 13 people and, if confirmed deliberate, would be the deadliest such incident in the capital since 2011. Kashmir police conducted widespread raids that detained roughly 500 people (most later released), and seven men — including two doctors — were arrested amid allegations of links to Pakistan-based militant groups. The developments have renewed tensions between India and Pakistan against the backdrop of a long-running insurgency in Kashmir.
India Declares Red Fort Car Blast a Terror Attack — Nationwide Investigation and Kashmir Raids Underway
India's cabinet has officially labelled the car explosion near Delhi's Red Fort a terror attack and opened an investigation under a stringent anti-terror law. The blast killed at least 13 people and, if confirmed deliberate, would be the deadliest such incident in the capital since 2011. Kashmir police conducted widespread raids that detained roughly 500 people (most later released), and seven men — including two doctors — were arrested amid allegations of links to Pakistan-based militant groups. The developments have renewed tensions between India and Pakistan against the backdrop of a long-running insurgency in Kashmir.
04:03 AM, 11/13/2025Security
India declares Red Fort car blast a terror attack
India's cabinet has formally classified the car explosion near Delhi's historic Red Fort as a terrorist incident, after an attack that killed at least 13 people earlier this week. The government called it a "heinous terror incident, perpetrated by antinational forces," and said investigators have been ordered to identify "perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors" and bring them to justice without delay.
Expanded investigative powers
Authorities said police are probing the case under a stringent anti-terrorism law that grants expanded powers to detain and investigate suspects. The cabinet did not present new publicly available evidence when it announced the formal classification.
Raids and arrests in Kashmir
Kashmir police carried out raids at hundreds of locations across the Himalayan region and detained about 500 people, a police source told Reuters; most were later released after questioning. Separately, police in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir said they arrested seven men, including two doctors, in what officials described as a related anti-terror inquiry.
Authorities are investigating a possible link between those arrested and the driver of the car that exploded, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources. A Kashmir police statement alleged the seven men were part of "a white-collar terror ecosystem" with ties to Pakistan-based groups Jaish-e-Muhammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind; those links have been characterized as allegations by Indian authorities.
Regional tensions and context
India has long accused Pakistan of supporting armed groups in Kashmir — an allegation Islamabad denies. Decades of insurgency have left tens of thousands dead since 1989, though violence has reduced in recent years. In April, an attack on Hindu tourists in Kashmir killed 26 people and briefly sparked the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in years before both sides agreed to a ceasefire after four days.
What happens next: Investigators continue to gather evidence and pursue leads. Officials say the anti-terror designation allows for more extensive investigations; independent confirmation of responsibility has not yet been made public.
Note on reporting: Officials and police have offered allegations and initial findings; some details remain under active investigation and may be updated as inquiries progress.