New Delhi: New links have emerged between the Red Fort car bomb blast in Delhi, which killed nine people on Monday evening, and Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), according to police sources. Investigators believe the blast, caused by a Hyundai i20 rigged with ammonium nitrate fuel oil, was the work of a terror module connected to the group that orchestrated the 2019 Pulwama attack and the Pahalgam massacre earlier this year.
JeM’s deadly legacy and re-emergence
The Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar, has long been responsible for major attacks on Indian soil. The group came under heavy retaliation after the Pulwama suicide bombing in February 2019, which killed 40 Indian soldiers. Following that, Indian air strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot targeted the group’s training facilities.
In May 2025, India carried out missile strikes on Bahawalpur, destroying the JeM headquarters and killing at least ten members of Azhar’s family, including his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar, who was married to the terror chief’s younger sister, Sadiya Azhar.
Following these losses, intelligence agencies have noted JeM’s attempts to rebuild with fresh financial backing and logistical aid from elements within Pakistan’s establishment. In August, reports surfaced that the group had launched a fund-raising drive and online recruitment campaign, including the creation of a women’s wing called Jamat ul-Muminat.
Woman’s wing of Jaish and key suspect
Sadiya Azhar was reportedly put in charge of the women’s wing, alongside her sister Samaira Azhar. Both are believed to have conducted online indoctrination sessions targeting women from vulnerable sections and the families of existing JeM operatives.
Now, Indian intelligence agencies suspect that this women’s network has direct links to the Delhi Red Fort blast. One of the suspects, Shaheena Shahid, a medical professional from Haryana, is believed to be heading the Indian operations of the women’s wing.
Shahid worked at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad along with another suspect, Dr Mujammil Shakeel, who has also been arrested. A search of Shahid’s car, a Maruti Suzuki Swift, led to the recovery of an assault rifle and ammunition. Another cache of weapons was found in a locker at Anantnag’s Government Medical College, suggesting the existence of a wider sleeper cell.
Arrests and explosive recoveries
Both Shahid and Shakeel were arrested on Monday evening in a joint operation between Delhi Police and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The arrests came just hours after an inter-state anti-terror crackdown in which police seized a staggering 2,900 kg of explosives, mostly ammonium nitrate, from properties linked to Shakeel in Faridabad.
A third suspect, Dr Adil Ahmed Rather, was detained from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of the same investigation. Police believe the Red Fort blast was triggered by another doctor, Dr Umar Mohammed, who allegedly panicked after the arrests of Shakeel and Rather.
According to investigators, the explosion was not a random act but an attempted suicide bombing gone wrong, likely intended to divert attention from the wider crackdown.
Terrorists using professionals as operatives
Officials have expressed concern over Jaish’s shift in tactics, noting the use of “doctors” and other professionals to mask operations and evade detection. This emerging trend of recruiting educated individuals for logistical and operational roles marks a worrying development in the group’s methods.
Sources indicate that this shift could be part of Jaish’s larger reorganisation strategy after the decimation of its key leadership in Pakistan earlier this year.
Investigation continues
Security across the capital has been ramped up, and agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are working jointly to trace funding routes and cross-border communications linked to the Red Fort explosion.
The Delhi Police have also sought assistance from forensic experts and international intelligence partners to analyse digital data, explosives, and other materials seized from the accused.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as investigations continue into what appears to be one of the most sophisticated terror operations in recent years.