A suspected white-collar terror module affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is connected to the car bomb explosion at the Red Fort in Delhi that occurred last week, was reportedly in the process of preparing for a significant fidayeen attack scheduled for December 6, according to sources.
Security agencies deciphered the internal codename "Operation D-6" used by the group following the interrogation of terror suspects who were apprehended in Faridabad and Jammu and Kashmir. Sources indicated that the module had been orchestrating a large-scale suicide operation involving a car-borne explosive device, with preparatory activities underway for several weeks.
Details from the interrogation of the detained suspects disclosed that Lady Doctor Shaheen Shaheed and Umar, the terrorist who was killed outside the Red Fort, played pivotal roles in the conspiracy. A considerable amount of explosives had been accumulated in Faridabad specifically for the intended attack on December 6. Investigators stated that Umar had been attempting to groom multiple young men for possible fidayeen operations and had been vigorously indoctrinating them.
Agencies have identified and contacted individuals with whom he had been communicating, and their questioning is currently in progress. Diaries seized from Shaheen and the other arrested suspects have additionally provided information related to "Operation D-6".
These disclosures came to light as the National Investigation Agency escalated its investigation into the Red Fort car bomb blast, resulting in the arrest of a Kashmiri man who is alleged to have been instrumental in assisting suicide bomber Dr Umar Un Nabi in carrying out the November 10 attack, which claimed 10 lives and left 32 people injured.
Investigators have now determined that the suicide bomber drove around with the car loaded with explosives for almost 10 hours on the day of the incident and also passed through various VVIP zones in Delhi. Umar was recorded on around 40 CCTV cameras throughout the capital during that time.
Amir was taken into custody in Delhi after investigators verified that the vehicle employed in the blast was registered under his name. The NIA reported that he had come to the capital to help Umar obtain the car, which was subsequently converted into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
The agency noted that Amir had actively participated in the conspiracy alongside Umar, an Assistant Professor of General Medicine at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, to execute the bombing near the Red Fort.
Another vehicle owned by Umar has been impounded and is presently under forensic examination. So far, investigators have recorded statements from 73 witnesses, including survivors who sustained injuries in the blast, while teams collaborate with Delhi Police, Jammu & Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, Uttar Pradesh Police, and other central agencies to trace every element of the plot.
Officials suspect that the conspiracy involves more individuals beyond the two identified conspirators, and additional arrests are anticipated as various leads across states are followed up. The NIA has verified that the explosion was executed using a vehicle-borne IED operated by suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi, and the capture of his alleged accomplice represents a significant advancement in the investigation.
In the meantime, the agency has freed four individuals, comprising three doctors, who had been detained in relation to the blast after the probe revealed no substantial connections to Umar. The individuals who were released—Dr Rehan, Dr Mohammad, Dr Mustaqeem, and fertiliser dealer Dinesh Singla—had been detained from Nuh in Haryana.
The doctors had previously interacted with Umar and were linked to Al-Falah University, while investigators also examined whether any explosive-related chemicals had been obtained from a fertiliser dealer.
Also Read: Army-used 9mm cartridges found at Red Fort blast site
SUSPECTS PLANNED ATTACK ON BABRI MASJID DEMOLITION ANNIVERSARY
Sources had previously informed India Today TV that Umar intended to conduct a powerful explosion coinciding with the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6.
However, Dr Umar's scheme unravelled after one of his associates, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, a teacher at Faridabad's Al Falah University, was apprehended, and 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered from his room. It is thought that Umar became alarmed and detonated the explosives in a Hyundai i20 in the Red Fort area.
On November 10, following reports of a large-scale confiscation of 2,900 kg of explosives by Faridabad Police, which included 360 kg from Dr Shakeel's network, Umar is believed to have entered a state of panic. He sought refuge in a mosque in Delhi's walled city for several hours before driving away, at which point the incomplete vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated prematurely.
Also Read: Kashmiri youth among dead in Red Fort blast
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