SRINAGAR, India (AP) – The National Investigating Agency (NIA) of India announced on Sunday the arrest of Amir Rashid Ali, a man from Indian-controlled Kashmir, who is suspected of conspiring with a suicide bomber to execute a devastating car blast in New Delhi. This incident occurred near the historic Red Fort and resulted in the tragic deaths of 10 individuals, with an additional 32 people sustaining injuries.
The explosion took place on Monday and was linked to a vehicle that was registered under Ali's name. According to the NIA's statement, Ali had traveled from Kashmir to New Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the vehicle used in the blast. The agency has described his arrest as a significant breakthrough in their ongoing investigation into the terror incident, which has been labeled by Indian officials as a "heinous terror incident" carried out by "anti-national forces."
Hours before the car explosion, authorities in Kashmir reported the dismantling of a suspected militant cell, which led to the arrest of at least seven individuals, including two Kashmiri doctors from other Indian cities. During this operation, a substantial amount of bomb-making materials was seized, indicating a larger conspiracy at work within the region.
The NIA also identified the suspected suicide bomber as Umar Un Nabi, a Kashmiri doctor who was teaching at a medical college located in Faridabad, close to New Delhi. In response to the attack, Indian government forces took drastic measures, reportedly destroying Nabi's family home in Pulwama as a reprisal action, a move that underscores the tensions surrounding the incident.
In alignment with their investigation, Indian security agencies have conducted extensive raids throughout Kashmir, questioning thousands of individuals and detaining hundreds. These measures are part of a broader strategy to understand the network behind the attack and to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future.
In a related event, police in Kashmir faced a tragic incident when explosives confiscated from the Faridabad area detonated inside a police station on Friday night. This explosion resulted in the deaths of at least nine personnel and left 32 others injured, adding to the turmoil in the region and highlighting the escalating threats posed by militant activities.
The situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir continues to be fraught with tension as authorities strive to navigate the complexities of security, terrorism, and communal stability. The investigations into these incidents reflect not only a reactive approach to violence but also an ongoing struggle to maintain peace in a historically volatile and contested area.
