New Delhi: A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report has officially attributed the car bomb explosion near Delhi’s historical Red Fort in November last year to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The findings were released by the UNSC monitoring committee responsible for tracking sanctions against terrorist organizations. The report also warned that Al-Qaeda is actively attempting to establish and expand its footprint in Bangladesh alongside India.
On November 10, 2025, a vehicle-borne IED exploded near the Red Fort, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and injuring several others. In May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against 10 terrorists belonging to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda. The NIA identified Dr. Umar Un-Nabi, a former assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Faridabad who died in the blast, as the key mastermind.
The UN report revealed that both Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIL) have been making sustained efforts over the years to develop chemical and biological weapons. Although they have failed to overcome technical challenges, operational instructions continue to circulate online. Towards the end of 2025, Indian security agencies arrested three individuals, including a doctor, for attempting to develop the deadly toxin ‘ricin’ under instructions from an overseas IS cell.
The leadership of Al-Qaeda remains based in Kabul, Afghanistan, where the Taliban administration has reportedly issued them national identity cards (tazkiras), indicating close ties. Furthermore, terror outfits like IS-Khorasan are increasingly utilizing cryptocurrency for terror financing, prompting the UN panel to recommend including digital currency addresses in the sanction list. The report also noted that Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, backed by Al-Qaeda, was behind the May 9 terror attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that killed 21 people.
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