Delhi Blast Linked to Faridabad Terror Module: Preliminary Probe Points to Use of Ammonium Nitrate, Fuel Oil and Detonators

New Delhi: Investigators probing the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station have uncovered crucial leads indicating that ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators were used in the explosion that rocked the national capital on Monday evening.

According to police sources, the preliminary forensic analysis points to a possible link between the Red Fort blast and the Faridabad terror module, where authorities recently seized nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosive substances, including 360 kg of highly inflammable ammonium nitrate.

A senior police official told PTI that CCTV footage retrieved from the area shows a masked man driving the Hyundai i20 moments before the explosion. “Multiple police teams are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas to trace the route and movements of the suspect,” the official said.

The blast occurred at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station, ripping through a slow-moving vehicle and leaving at least nine people dead and over 20 injured. Several vehicles in the vicinity were damaged due to the intensity of the explosion, prompting authorities to place Delhi on high alert.

Police teams have since launched coordinated raids across the city and adjoining NCR districts as part of a sweeping counterterrorism operation.

Meanwhile, just hours before the explosion, Haryana Police arrested eight people, including three doctors, from Faridabad and seized 2,900 kilograms of explosive materials—a cache investigators now suspect is directly linked to the Delhi attack. The seized materials included ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur, along with arms and ammunition.

On Tuesday morning, agencies released the first image of Dr. Mohammad Umar, believed to be the mastermind and driver of the car that exploded near Red Fort. Umar, a resident of Pulwama and an employee at Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, was reportedly among those killed in the explosion.

Police have also traced the vehicle’s ownership chain. The car was originally registered under Mohd. Salman, who told investigators that he sold it to Devendra, a resident of Okhla, around 18 months ago. Both individuals are being questioned to determine how the car eventually reached Umar.