Explained | Delhi’s first SVBIED attack: Why vehicle-borne suicide bombings are almost impossible to stop

A VBIED attack turns an ordinary vehicle into a high-speed weapon. Monday’s blast forces a rethink inside India’s counterterror grid.

Delhi has seen bombings before, but Monday’s incident is in a different league. For the first time, the national capital has faced a Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) attack, a tactic security agencies consider one of the hardest to detect and even harder to prevent.

According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), investigators believe this attack marks a worrying escalation: the bomber used an ordinary vehicle as both delivery mechanism and weapon, exploiting a vulnerability that modern cities still struggle to defend against.

What exactly happened, and why it matters

A suicide attacker driving a vehicle packed with high-grade explosives detonated it inside the city. TOI reports that this marks the first known SVBIED strike in Delhi, bringing India face-to-face with a form of urban terrorism that global agencies treat as a top-tier threat.

SVBIEDs have been used extensively in conflict zones, but rarely in India. When they do occur,  as seen in Pulwama (2019) and Coimbatore (2022), the devastation is massive.

SVBIED 101: What makes this attack different?

The report explains that the danger of a Vehicle-Borne IED lies in the physics of the weapon itself.

1. The vehicle becomes the shrapnel

Unlike backpack or jacket bombs, an SVBIED transforms the entire car into a projectile generator: engine block, doors, metal sheets, chassis fragments, glass.

When the blast occurs, these components are hurled at hyper-speed, creating far higher casualties than traditional explosives.

2. The explosive yield is much larger

Cars allow terrorists to pack: more explosives, more accelerants, additional fuel sources (LPG, petrol)

As a retired Delhi Police special cell officer told TOI, “An SVBIED is just another vehicle until the detonation. That stealth is what makes it so hard to intercept.”

3. The bomber’s commitment removes deterrence

Because the attacker is willing to die: police chases don’t work, negotiation is irrelevant, standoff tactics fail, perimeter security can be bypassed.

This psychological factor makes SVBIEDs uniquely hard to stop.

Why SVBIEDs are far more destructive: the physics

Experts quoted by TOI explain why car bombs are dreaded worldwide:

Primary blast wave - A supersonic pressure wave causes severe internal injuries, lungs, ears, bowels.

Secondary fragmentation - Car parts act as deadly projectiles, easily penetrating bodies and buildings.

Tertiary impact - Victims are thrown into vehicles and structures, compounding trauma.

Fireball - Fuel ignition causes severe burns and structural fires.

“High-grade explosives inside a vehicle produce enough fragmentation on their own, you don’t need nails or pellets,” a retired anti-terror officer told TOI.

Why India is vulnerable and how rare these attacks are

SVBIED attacks in India are uncommon but high-impact:

Pulwama (2019): 40 CRPF personnel killed.
Coimbatore (2022): bomber died instantly; a mass-casualty attack was averted only by chance.

The blast in Delhi matches the defining characteristics noted in these attacks, stealth, preparation, and high explosive load.

Why these attacks are so hard to prevent

Security agencies quoted by TOI say the biggest challenge is deniability and disguise: an ordinary car in traffic looks like every other car.

Agencies watch for:

• vehicles sitting unusually low (due to heavy payload)
• drivers showing extreme nervousness
• erratic parking or waiting patterns
• last-minute changes in route

Prevention becomes entirely intelligence-driven:

• tracking precursor chemical purchases
• analysing thefts of LPG cylinders or fertilisers
• intercepting planning chatter
• monitoring reconnaissance around high-value targets

Can cities defend themselves against SVBIEDs?

Urban countermeasures exist,  and TOI highlights several used globally:

Physical barriers

• reinforced bollards
• blast-resistant walls
• serpentine vehicle entry points
• increased stand-off distance around sensitive buildings

• enhanced checkpoint training
• better explosive residue detection
• patrols designed to disrupt reconnaissance

Citizens reporting:

• repeated loitering
• suspicious photography
• slow-moving or unmarked cars in high-security zones
• can be critical early-warning tools.