Delhi: 2025 Red Fort blast that killed 11 linked to Al-Qaida-linked group, says UN report
PTC News Desk: The November 2025 explosion near Red For in Delhi that killed 11 was carried out by an offshoot of the global terrorist organisation Al-Qaida, according to a report by the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring team.
The development adds a significant international dimention to ongoing investigation into the deadly attack.
"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 initially attributed to AQIS. There was some concern about AQIS trying to exploit Bangladesh to establish cells there," the report said.
The blast took place on November 10,2025, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded near the Red Fort.
According to the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee monitoring team, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been developed from a fragmented organisation into a decentralised network operating through smaller cells across the region.
The NIA had earlier found that the terror module was inspired by Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and that the planned attack was part of a larger terror conspiracy. The latest UN assessment now adds international backing to the Indian anti-terror agency’s findings.
According to the UN report, AQIS has changed from a weakened and fragmented group into a more organised regional terrorist network. Instead of operating in large groups, it is increasingly using small and decentralised cells, making it harder for security agencies to identify and stop them.
The UN monitors also raised concerns about AQIS's logistics and financial networks, saying the group still has the ability to plan and support terror operations despite years of counterterrorism action.
The Red Fort attack has been mentioned as an example of the group's renewed operational capabilities.
The report also warned that AQIS may try to expand its presence in Bangladesh by setting up new cells, which could increase its activities across South Asia.
- With inputs from agencies
