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New Delhi: The government has described Tuesday’s car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 12 people and injured more than 20, as a “panic reaction” to recent security raids in Faridabad that led to the recovery of massive quantities of explosives.
Top Home Ministry officials said preliminary investigation suggests the explosion was triggered prematurely, likely under pressure following the November 9–10 anti-terror operations in Faridabad and Pulwama. “The bomb was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact. The explosion did not create a crater, and no shrapnel or projectiles were found,” senior officials told reporters, adding that a major terror attack was likely averted due to “pan-India alertness and coordinated crackdown” on suspect modules.
Following the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired two high-level review meetings with top security and intelligence agencies to assess the nationwide threat perception. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been handed over the probe, officials confirmed late Tuesday.
Massive Explosives Seized in Faridabad Raids
The car explosion is being linked to a series of security raids carried out in the National Capital Region and Jammu & Kashmir earlier this week. “During operations on November 9 and 10 in Faridabad, Haryana, almost 3,000 kilograms of explosives — including RDX, detonators, timers, and other bomb-making materials — were seized from multiple hideouts,” an official said.
According to preliminary inputs, the blast may have been the result of “panic and desperation” among those connected to the modules under investigation, fearing arrest after the seizures.
The crackdown in Faridabad and adjoining areas has also led to the arrest of three doctors from Jammu and Kashmir, who are being questioned for their alleged role in procuring or facilitating the transport of explosive materials.
Coordinated Security Operations Across NCR
Sources said security agencies had been on heightened alert across Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida, as well as parts of Jammu & Kashmir, since last week’s intelligence intercepts pointed to possible coordinated attacks ahead of the winter session of Parliament.
While forensic teams and NIA investigators collected samples from the blast site on Tuesday evening, officials stressed that the absence of shrapnel or secondary projectiles indicated the device was likely incomplete or triggered before assembly was finished.
Senior officers of the Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA, and NSG bomb disposal unit remained at the site till late evening. The area around Red Fort, Jama Masjid, and Daryaganj was cordoned off as part of precautionary searches, while nearby markets were evacuated briefly. The Home Ministry is expected to issue an official statement on Wednesday once the NIA’s preliminary report is received.
