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Two days after a blast near Delhi’s Red Fort claimed 12 lives and injured several people, sources told NDTV that the terrorists wanted to carry out a string of coordinated attacks modelled after the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. The investigation into Monday evening’s explosion has revealed that key landmarks such as the Red Fort, India Gate, Constitution Club, and Gauri Shankar Temple were among the intended targets, along with plans for strikes at railway stations and shopping malls nationwide.
The Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008, involved simultaneous shootings and explosions across 12 key locations -- among them the Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Delhi conspiracy had been under works for months
According to the sources cited in the NDTV report, the Delhi terror plot had been in the works since January, with the module -- believed to have ties to Jaish-e-Mohammed -- planning the operation for months. The group was reportedly preparing about 200 powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target prominent areas across Delhi and its neighbouring cities, Gurugram and Faridabad.
The sources said the terrorists were conspiring to incite communal tensions by targeting religious sites, noting that a number of radicalised doctors from several regions of Jammu and Kashmir were chosen for the job because of their “white collar” cover.
In fact, the i20 car that blew up near the Red Fort on Monday was allegedly driven by Dr Umar Nabi, who hailed from Pulwama district. His family, shocked by the revelation, has said he could never be involved in terror activities.
The explosion, which damaged several vehicles and blew out glass in nearby buildings, is believed to be linked to a Faridabad terror module recently dismantled by police, who recovered nearly 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable substances from two Kashmiri doctors. The case has since been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Union Home Ministry.
Delhi Red Fort blast
A powerful explosion ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, killing nine people and injuring 20 others. The death toll rose to 12 on Tuesday, with three more people succumbing to injuries, police said.
