In a chilling turn of events that has shaken the national capital, a powerful car explosion near Gate No. 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening left at least eight people dead and several others injured, with authorities now probing possible terror links, was just meters away from Hindu and Jain temples.
The historic Gauri Shankar Temple and the Jain Mandir in Chandni Chowk were across the road from the site of blast, raising fears that the attack may have been intended to strike at the heart of Delhi’s religious and cultural nerve centre.
The explosion triggered a massive fire that engulfed three nearby vehicles and sent shockwaves through the densely packed lanes of Old Delhi. The Delhi Fire Department confirmed receiving multiple distress calls about “blast-like sounds,” following which seven fire tenders and several ambulances were rushed to the spot.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, bodies lying on the road, burning vehicles, and devotees running for cover just steps away from the temple gates.
The Red Fort area, home to some of Delhi’s oldest religious landmarks including the Gauri Shankar Temple, Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, and Sri Sis Ganj Sahib Gurudwara, was crowded with devotees and tourists when the explosion occurred. Police officials said the timing and proximity to major temples indicate the possibility of a deliberate attempt to target a high-density religious zone.
Preliminary findings by the Delhi Police Special Cell and NSG Bomb Squad suggest that the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted inside a slow-moving car. Forensic teams recovered metallic shards and traces of ammonium nitrate, commonly used in terror-grade explosives. Investigators are treating it as a terror attack under Section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
So far, eight deaths have been confirmed, including a rickshaw puller and two street vendors. More than a dozen injured are being treated at LNJP and RML hospitals, with several reported in critical condition.
Explosion after Faridabad’s “Doctor Terror” network was busted
The Red Fort blast comes just hours after investigators busted what is being described as a “white-collar terror module”in Faridabad, barely 45 kilometres from the national capital. The operation uncovered nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosive material and exposed a chilling network of doctors, clerics, and professionals working as covert operatives for Pakistan-backed outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH).
Two Kashmiri doctors, Dr Muzammil Shakil from Pulwama and Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather from Kulgam, were arrested after being found in direct contact with terror handlers in Pakistan. Both had allegedly treated injured terrorists in Kashmir between 2018 and 2021 and were awaiting final orders to execute a major strike in the Delhi-NCR region. Raids at their Faridabad safehouses in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga villages led to the recovery of 2.9 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, assault rifles, IED components, detonators, and circuit timers.
