Delhi blast: Suspect acted hastily out of panic after explosives recovered during recent raids, sources say

Delhi red fort blast: Suspect acted hastily out of panic after explosives recovered during recent raids, say police

The explosion that took place near Red Fort on Monday is now being linked to a series of coordinated raids carried out by security agencies across Delhi-NCR and Pulwama, as per top sources cited by ANI.

The inputs from sources suggest that the suspect acted in haste, triggered by "panic and desperation", after recent large-scale seizures of explosives in the region.

During the raids, carried out on November 9 and 10 in Faridabad, almost 3000 kg of explosives, along with detonators, timers and other bomb making material, were caught and confiscated.

As per the sources, the explosive device was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact. The explosion did not create a crater, and no shrapnel or projectiles were found, ANI reported.

These raids, part of a broader crackdown on suspected terror modules, are believed to have pushed the individual or group behind the Red Fort blast into acting hastily under mounting pressure.

Meanwhile, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been tasked with matching the chemical composition of the explosive traces from the Red Fort site with the materials seized during the Faridabad operation.

While investigations are still ongoing, sources said a major terror strike was likely averted due to the “pan-India alertness and coordinated crackdown” that has been underway in recent weeks.

Security has since been ramped up in and around the Red Fort and key installations across the National Capital Region. The area continues to remain under close surveillance as teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police piece together the chain of events leading up to Monday’s explosion.

Officials are also probing possible cross-border linkages and local facilitation networks that may have aided the suspects. Intelligence inputs are being shared in real time among central and state agencies as part of the ongoing counter-terror operations.

The Union Home Ministry has been monitoring the situation closely.

(With inputs from ANI)