A United Nations Security Council report has for the first time directly linked Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) to the deadly Red Fort blast in Delhi in November 2025, which claimed 11 lives.
The development comes while India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) continues its investigation into the explosion. Indian authorities have not yet issued a final conclusion officially establishing who was responsible for the attack.
UN Report Names AQIS
The reference appears in the 38th report submitted to the UN Security Council in August 2026. The document examines terrorist activity and security developments between December 16, 2025, and June 9, 2026.
According to the report, AQIS has been rebuilding its operational capabilities despite earlier assessments that the organisation had become fragmented.
The report’s reference to the Red Fort blast marks a significant development because it is the first time a UN document has directly associated AQIS with the attack.
AQIS Shifts To Smaller Cells
The UN monitoring team said AQIS has been moving away from larger organisational structures and increasingly relying on small, decentralised cells.
Such a structure can make terrorist networks harder for security agencies to identify and disrupt. The report also pointed to the group’s development of separate logistics and financing arrangements.
The monitoring team warned that AQIS could seek to strengthen its presence in Bangladesh, potentially expanding its reach across the wider South Asian region.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions Also Highlighted
The report also raised concerns over growing violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Pakistan has continued to accuse the Taliban of providing support to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces.
The UN document said the deteriorating security situation has contributed to military clashes between the two countries.
It also noted links between AQIS and attacks attributed to Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including a suicide attack close to a security checkpoint in Bannu.
Terror Groups Increasingly Using AI
The UN monitoring team also flagged the growing use of artificial intelligence by terrorist organisations.
According to the report, groups are using AI for propaganda and other operational purposes. ISIL-K, for instance, has reportedly used AI-based tools to quickly translate propaganda into different languages.
The UN also expressed concern that AI-enabled platforms could potentially be misused to obtain information connected to terrorist activities.
UN Warns Of Interest In Chemical Weapons
The report further highlighted continued interest among extremist organisations in chemical and biological weapons.
It cited material published in ISIL’s English-language magazine Invade that discussed highly toxic substances, indicating that unconventional weapons remain an area of concern.
Changes To UN Terror Sanctions List
The report also recorded changes to the UN’s sanctions list during the review period.
Three individuals were added to the list, while seven entries were removed. Among the notable changes, Al-Nusra Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was removed from the UN sanctions list on February 27, 2026.
The AQIS reference in the latest report is likely to draw further attention to the Red Fort blast investigation, although the final determination of responsibility remains with Indian investigative authorities.
