Deadly Delhi Car Blast: Police Arrest Man from Kashmir
Indian authorities have arrested a resident of Indian-administered Kashmir, accusing him of aiding a suspected suicide bomber behind last week’s deadly car explosion in New Delhi.
The blast, which struck Monday near the Red Fort, killed 12 people and injured 32.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s lead counterterrorism body, said Sunday it had taken Amir Rashid Ali into custody. Investigators said the vehicle used in the attack was registered in his name and that he was arrested in the capital after a nationwide search.
Ali, from Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir, is alleged to have conspired with the bomber, identified as Umar Un Nabi, to carry out the attack. Authorities believe Ali traveled to Delhi to help purchase the car that was later packed with explosives.
Investigators also seized another vehicle owned by Nabi and are examining it for evidence.
The NIA said its probe is ongoing and that additional suspects will be identified if found to be involved.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet condemned the blast as a “heinous terror incident carried out by anti-national forces.” The government has so far refrained from publicly blaming Pakistan, a departure from past responses. Modi warned in May that any future “terror” attack would be treated as an “act of war,” raising the stakes for attributing responsibility.
In a separate incident, nine people were killed and nearly 30 injured late Friday when a cache of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. Police called the explosion accidental and said no armed groups were involved.
The Srinagar blast came as security forces conducted raids across several northern states. Kashmiri police said they recovered a large stockpile of weapons, ammunition and explosives, including materials used to build improvised explosive devices.
The blast, which struck Monday near the Red Fort, killed 12 people and injured 32.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s lead counterterrorism body, said Sunday it had taken Amir Rashid Ali into custody. Investigators said the vehicle used in the attack was registered in his name and that he was arrested in the capital after a nationwide search.
Ali, from Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir, is alleged to have conspired with the bomber, identified as Umar Un Nabi, to carry out the attack. Authorities believe Ali traveled to Delhi to help purchase the car that was later packed with explosives.
Investigators also seized another vehicle owned by Nabi and are examining it for evidence.
The NIA said its probe is ongoing and that additional suspects will be identified if found to be involved.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet condemned the blast as a “heinous terror incident carried out by anti-national forces.” The government has so far refrained from publicly blaming Pakistan, a departure from past responses. Modi warned in May that any future “terror” attack would be treated as an “act of war,” raising the stakes for attributing responsibility.
In a separate incident, nine people were killed and nearly 30 injured late Friday when a cache of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. Police called the explosion accidental and said no armed groups were involved.
The Srinagar blast came as security forces conducted raids across several northern states. Kashmiri police said they recovered a large stockpile of weapons, ammunition and explosives, including materials used to build improvised explosive devices.