by Leonid Savin
| See the latest developments for Day 4 here |
Eight people died instantly, five more later died of their wounds, and about twenty were injured. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not name any organization or state responsible for the attack, but stated that the perpetrators would not escape justice.
By a strange coincidence, the following day, an explosion occurred in Islamabad, the capital of neighboring Pakistan, near a courthouse. Twelve people were killed and 36 injured.
And Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif didn't mince words. He blamed the attack on "Indian terrorist accomplices," claiming it was "Indian-backed" from Afghan soil.
New Delhi was forced to respond to these words, dismissing the “baseless accusations” as “desperate diversionary maneuvers.”
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group, which had previously split from the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the explosion in Islamabad. The Afghan Taliban, as they have done in the past after numerous terrorist attacks and bombings in Pakistan, denied any involvement.
Pakistan's defense minister said the country was "at war," linking the blast to similar activity on the Afghan-Pakistani border and in Balochistan province.
The terrorist attacks in both capitals share a common feature: they were the largest in the past 10 years, occurring in locations with heightened security, particularly in Islamabad, which is divided into sectors and controlled by checkpoints.
INDIAN SUCCESSES
The explosion in the capital occurred after police announced the dismantling of an "interstate transnational terrorist cell."
Half a dozen suspects were arrested in a New Delhi suburb, many of them working at the same medical facility on the outskirts of the capital. Police confiscated approximately three tons of materials that could be used to make bombs, including chemicals, electronic circuits, and remote controls.
The main investigative actions and the seizure of material evidence took place in Faridabad, a city located in the Delhi metropolitan area and effectively a satellite of the capital.
The neutralized terrorists, according to authorities, were linked to the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
It has long been accused of orchestrating various attacks, including one in Indian-controlled Kashmir in May of this year, when 26 people were killed. India then responded with airstrikes on Pakistani territory.
Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather has emerged as a key figure in the terrorist attack case; investigators are currently working with him. Two of his colleagues, Muzammal Shakeel from Faridabad and Shahina Shahid from Lucknow, were also arrested on November 12. Shahid is alleged to have led a special "women's unit" of the terrorist organization and recruited supporters.
In total, 13 people are suspected of involvement in organizing the explosion.
The investigation also revealed the route of the car that exploded. Kashmir police stated that its driver, Umer Nabi from Jammu and Kashmir, also a doctor, was likely connected to the previously uncovered group of doctors.
The investigation recorded more than a hundred of his telephone conversations with accomplices, who helped expose the perpetrator.
On the day of the attack, Nabi, wearing a black mask, entered Delhi via Badarpur at 8:04 am in a car loaded with explosives, detonators, fuel oil and ammonium nitrate.
At 6:52 PM, this car exploded near the Red Fort metro station. CCTV footage helped identify the doctor. Investigators believe he was directly connected to the Faridabad group.
Since some suspects were detained before the explosion in the capital, it is likely that the terrorist attack was intended to cover their tracks and was also an act of desperation, as the police could have arrested those who remained at large, including the driver of the car bomb.
In any case, if there is indeed a direct link between the arrests, one can only congratulate Indian operatives on achieving such a quick result. However, arrests and searches for other Jaish-e-Mohammed cells are likely to continue.
It is quite possible that investigative actions will also take place in other medical institutions, as well as in structures where it is possible to gain access to materials used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices.
PAKISTANI HOPELESSNESS
The picture emerging in Pakistan, however, appears more bleak. High-profile security incidents have been occurring there almost daily recently. Just yesterday, an armed group attempted to attack a cadet college in Wana, Waziristan.
Overall, there are approximately two dozen organizations operating in the country that are considered terrorist. The most notorious of these are the Pakistani Taliban, the Balochistan Liberation Army, and ISIS-Khorasan*.
The government is forced to regularly shut down mobile internet and conduct preventative searches and raids, which often lead to shootouts.
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The political rhetoric adopted in communications between the two countries' leaderships over a long period remains unchanged: Pakistan blames India, and India blames Pakistan. Even if the illegal activities are carried out by autonomous radical organizations.
Therefore, the next spiral of escalating tensions between the countries after the terrorist attacks has become closer.
The consequences will also impact the domestic political situation in each country—the opposition will accuse the ruling circles of failing to cope with recurring challenges and threats. All of this suggests that US President Donald Trump may be forced to "stop" the war between India and Pakistan for a second time.
Related:
New Delhi: 2025-11-13 Day 3: New Delhi car blast death toll rises to 12, JeM-led group of 25 plot: 32 VBIEDs for coordinated attacks in multiple locations
New Delhi: 2025-11-12 Day 2, Part I: At least 12 people were killed in an explosion outside a court in Islamabad
New Delhi: 2025-11-12 Pakistan may carry out strike inside Afghanistan after terror attacks, warns Asif
New Delhi: 2025-11-13 Day 3: New Delhi car blast death toll rises to 12, JeM-led group of 25 plot: 32 VBIEDs for coordinated attacks in multiple locations
New Delhi: 2025-11-12 Day 2, Part I: At least 12 people were killed in an explosion outside a court in Islamabad
New Delhi: 2025-11-12 Pakistan may carry out strike inside Afghanistan after terror attacks, warns Asif