Preliminary probe suggests Red Fort blast was hurried move after module bust in Faridabad

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The preliminary investigation into the car explosion outside Delhi's Red Fort suggests that it could be an act of terror. Investigators have confirmed that a Hyundai i20 car was packed with explosives and it was deliberately detonated near Gate No.1 of the Red Fort Metro Station.

At least nine people were killed and over 30 were injured in the attack. Investigations suggest that it was a suicide attack, and there could be a link to the Faridabad module, which was busted by the Jammu and Kashmir police.

Forensic officials who were present at the spot have learnt that a high-end explosive had been used. They suspect that the car was laden with both ammonium nitrate and RDX.

Officials say that car ownership has changed multiple times. This is a classic modus operandi that terrorists use to choose a vehicle for SVB-IED (suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attacks.

Officials say that nothing is being ruled out at the moment, while adding that all angles point towards an act of terror. Sources say that the car in question was purchased by one Tariq, a resident of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. His links to the Faridabad module are under investigation, the police added.

The police say that the car blew up at around 6.52 p.m. This triggered a fire that engulfed the vehicles that were nearby. Officials say that investigations point towards the involvement of the Faridabad module.

This module is suspected to have played a major role in supplying the explosives and also planning the attack. The police also suspect that one Dr Umar Mohammad, who was part of the Faridabad module, was present in the car at the time of the explosion.

A DNA test would help the investigators ascertain who was present in the car at the time of the blast. The agencies have been on the trail of Mohammad for several days now. He had been on the run, and the police say that he was clearly linked to the Faridabad module. Mohammad was an active member of the module and was involved in terror funding and the smuggling of arms and ammunition.

The trail of ownership is also crucial to the probe. Investigations have found that the car was first registered in the name of Mohammad Salman. He then sold it one Nadeem, who then handed over the vehicle to a car dealer in Faridabad. The car was then sold to Tariq before it finally landed up in the hands of Dr Umar Mohammad. Tariq is currently being questioned by the police.

During the probe, the police also learnt that the car had been parked near the Red Fort for nearly three hours before it was driven out. The car was driven out at a time when there was heavy traffic, and the attackers intended to cause huge damage by detonating the explosives. It is, however, unclear if the car was meant to explode when it was parked or if the attackers drove it out in panic after the Faridabad module was busted.

However, an official part of the probe agency said that all angles currently suggest that it was a Fedayeen attack. He, however, added that the attack was carried out in haste and may not have gone as per the intended plan.

Sources, however, add that given the nature of the explosion, the car was laden with a lot of explosives. The blast took place days after the arrest of one Dr Muzzamil Shakeel, from whom the police recovered 2,900 kilograms of explosive materials.

After busting the module, the police learnt that it was being operated by both the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH), which is linked to Al-Qaeda. The police suspect that the blast was orchestrated in a hurry.

The attackers may have panicked after the Faridabad module was busted. The probe also found that the module had planned out a series of blasts across the country.

--IANS

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