Al-Qaida offshoot AQIS behind Red Fort blast in 2025: UNSC report confirms

NEW DELHI: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has officially attributed the November 2025 blast near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), according to the 38th report of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.The attack on November 10 last year claimed 11 lives."Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS, not listed) continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity; it established logistics and financial networks, working in decentralised, small, scattered cells instead of large units.

The attack in November 2025 on the Red Fort in Delhi was officially attributed to AQIS," the report, published on August 10, stated.The assessment marks a significant shift in the attribution of the Red Fort attack, which had earlier been linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).The report noted that one member state had attributed a series of attacks to JeM and also linked the group to the Red Fort blast.The explosion occurred around 7 pm when a moving Hyundai i20 erupted in flames near the iconic monument.Investigators identified Umar-e-Nabi as the driver of the car and suspect him of carrying out the attack as a suicide bomber.Read also: Red Fort blast: 7,500-page NIA charge sheet alleges ‘Operation Heavenly Hind’ to overthrow govtLaunched in 2014, AQIS is a regional affiliate of Al-Qaida.The group was formed to expand the organisation’s activities across South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of Afghanistan.Meanwhile, the latest UNSC assessment also flagged broader concerns over the activities and capabilities of Al-Qaida and Islamic State (ISIL/Da’esh) affiliates.The report noted that Al-Qaida and ISIL had for years shown interest in developing chemical and biological weapons but had so far failed to overcome the technical challenges involved.

It also highlighted the widespread circulation of instructions on producing such agents in online terrorist communities.The report cited material published by ISIL’s English-language Invade magazine in February that included instructions related to botulinum toxin and cyanide. It also noted that ISIL-K had shown particular interest in ricin and circulated instructions on developing the toxin over the previous 12 months.(With ANI inputs)Get the latest India News and Live updates.

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