As the probe into the deadly Delhi blast intensifies, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered an even more sinister terror conspiracy, revealing that the white-collar terror module behind the attack had planned to weaponise drones and develop rocket-style explosives before eventually resorting to a suicide car bomb.
Investigators said the group initially intended to carry out rocket bomb attacks across Delhi and other high-security zones, modifying drone technology to create a rocket-based explosive delivery system capable of causing large-scale casualties and panic—tactics commonly employed by outfits such as Hamas and ISIS.
The plot has drawn parallels with the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, during which drones were used as a primary weapon of disruption and destruction.
According to sources, the terrorists attempted to create powerful drones fitted with large batteries to carry heavier bombs and cameras, planning to fly a weaponised drone over a crowded area for maximum casualties.
Many nations have been preparing for such drone-based threats, and India too has been strengthening its drone strike and anti-drone units at scale.
The NIA discovered the magnitude of this threat following two major arrests made within 48 hours.
One key suspect, Jasir Bilal Wani, alias Danish, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested in Srinagar.
Described by the NIA as an “active co-conspirator” of the suicide bomber, Wani allegedly provided crucial technical support for modifying drones and attempting to build rocket-based explosives.
A political science graduate, he had been intensely radicalised by key accused Dr Umar un Nabi over several months and was being prepared as a suicide bomber.
He admitted to meeting members of the “Doctor module” in October last year at a mosque in Kulgam, after which he was taken to a rented accommodation near Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad.
Prior to Wani’s arrest, the NIA had detained another suspect, Amir, also from Jammu and Kashmir, who played a crucial role in procuring the vehicle used by Dr Umar.
With these arrests, investigators were able to piece together how the module attempted to rope in multiple technical experts to execute their plan, analysing digital devices, communication trails, and suspicious procurement patterns to identify collaborators and assess the extent of the drone-weaponisation efforts.
When their rocket and drone attack plans failed, the terror group moved ahead with a car bomb.
On November 10, a Hyundai i20 packed with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) detonated on a busy road near Delhi’s Red Fort, killing fourteen people and injuring dozens.
The explosion took place just hours after police seized a massive cache of explosives from Faridabad-based Al Falah University, exposing what investigators have described as a highly coordinated and sophisticated attack plotted by a “white-collar terror network.”
The suicide bomber who drove the explosive-laden vehicle has been identified as Dr Umar un Nabi, a Kashmiri doctor associated with Al Falah University.
Several doctors and others linked to the module have been arrested, with raids continuing across Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
The NIA has stated that it is examining all angles and pursuing multiple leads as the investigation widens.