It has been revealed in the ongoing investigation into the Red Fort blast that conspirators of the terror attack were planning to carry out Hamas-style terrorist attacks. A massive explosion near the Red Fort on 10th November jolted the national capital, leaving over a dozen dead and several injured. An inter-state terror module connected to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad was found to be linked to the blast. Agencies arrested several individuals connected with the terror module, including Jasir Bilal Wani, a resident of Qazigund in the Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir.
According to a report by NDTV, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) examined the phone of terror accused Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, who was arrested last month. During the examination, the NIA found evidence relating to the use of Hamas-style weaponised drones as part of the terror conspiracy. The agency discovered dozens of pictures and videos of drones and rocket launchers in a deleted folder in Jasir Bilal Wani’s phone.
The data in the deleted folder included video tutorials on how to plant explosives in drones. The videos were sent to Wani by his foreign handlers through an app. The agency also found several numbers of foreign handlers on the app.
According to the investigators, the terror conspirators were working on building modified drones that could travel up to 25 km. The terror conspirators were also studying gliding rockets similar to those used by Hamas. The NDTV report quoted the CEO and Founder of Indowings, a drone and anti-drone manufacturing company, Paras Jain, who said that these rockets can be released from the ground or even by hand, making them a low-cost alternative to guided missiles. It takes 20 seconds to launch a rocket, and three rockets can be fired within 3 minutes. He said that the rockets are used in bulk by Hamas to make an impact over a wider area.
Who Is Jasir Bilal Wani?
Wani, a political science graduate, acted as the technical hand of the terror module. He modified drones by equipping them with higher-capacity batteries and cameras. Wani was also trying to attach explosive payloads to drones and to build miniature rockets.
Wani met Red Fort bomber Dr Umar un Nabi at a mosque in Kulgam in October 2024. Subsequently, over a period of several months, Nabi deeply indoctrinated Wani and tried to convince him to carry out a suicide bombing. However, despite Nabi’s tireless efforts to convince him to become a suicide bomber, Wani refused to participate as a suicide bomber. Wani withdrew in April 2025, explaining to Nabi that he was going through some financial difficulty and that taking one’s own life was forbidden in Islam. As per the NIA, Wani’s withdrawal as a suicide bomber was the reason that he was shifted to the technical support of the terror module.
