Delhi Red Fort blast triggers high alert in Faridabad as terror link emerges

When a bomb detonated near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi on November 10, 2025, killing at least nine people and injuring 20, the shockwaves didn’t stop at the city limits. Within hours, the entire Faridabad district — just 25 kilometers from the capital — went into lockdown mode. Police checkpoints lined every major intersection. Trains were searched from roof to undercarriage. And in a chilling twist, investigators found direct links between the blast and a hidden terrorist module operating out of Faridabad’s residential neighborhoods. This wasn’t just an attack. It was the tip of a much larger iceberg.

From Red Fort to Railway Stations: A City on Edge

At 8:47 a.m. on November 10, a car packed with ammonium nitrate exploded near the historic Red Fort metro entrance, catching commuters mid-morning rush. The blast shattered glass for blocks, flipped three auto-rickshaws, and left a crater the size of a small car. Emergency crews pulled bodies from the rubble for hours. By noon, the death toll had climbed to nine — though some sources still cite ten. Survivors described the sound as "like the sky ripped open." The response was immediate. DCP Shadi Kumar, head of Delhi’s counter-terrorism unit, ordered Faridabad’s top police officials into emergency mode. By 4 p.m., SHO Shamsher Singh of Ballabhgarh City Thana had set up vehicle checkpoints at Ambadekar Chowk, Sector 3, Old Faridabad, and Bata Chowk. Every car, every scooter, every two-wheeler was stopped. Officers peered under chassis, popped open trunks, and ran handheld scanners over fuel tanks. "We’re not just looking for bombs," Singh told reporters. "We’re looking for people who know how to build them." That same evening, Inspector Rajpal of JRP Thana launched a 14-hour sweep across Faridabad Railway Station. Sniffer dogs combed platforms. Metal detectors scanned luggage. Passengers from the Jhelum Express were held for secondary screening as they stepped off the train. Similar operations unfolded at New Town and Ballabhgarh railway stations. By dawn on November 11, over 1,200 bags had been checked. No secondary device was found — but the message was clear: this city is a target.

The Faridabad Terror Module: A Hidden Network

Early forensic analysis revealed something even more alarming: the wiring in the Red Fort bomb matched the exact blueprint of explosives seized just one day earlier — on November 9 — from two villages in Faridabad: Fatehpur Taga and Dhauj. Police had raided those locations after an anonymous tip and uncovered 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate — enough to level a city block. The cache was stored in sealed drums labeled "fertilizer," hidden beneath false walls in a warehouse owned by a shell company.

That raid led to the arrest of Dr. Mujammil Shakil, a 42-year-old physician with a clean record and no prior criminal history. Officers found 360 kilograms of explosives and an AK-47 rifle in his home in Sector 23. His medical license was still active. His patients described him as "quiet, polite, always on time." But investigators found encrypted messages on his phone linking him to three other individuals in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. One message read: "The clock is ticking. Delhi will hear us." The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case on November 11. "This is not an isolated act," an NIA official told reporters. "We’re tracing a network that’s been active for at least 18 months."

Statewide Crackdown: From Gurugram to Lucknow

By Tuesday afternoon, the net had widened. The Uttar Pradesh ATS conducted raids in Lucknow, Muzaffarnagar, and Shamli. Five more suspects were detained. In Gurugram, police increased vehicle checks by 300%. Airport security was upgraded to airport-of-origin level scrutiny. Even the Sanatan Ekta Padayatra 2.0, a religious procession in Haryana, saw a doubling of security personnel.

Delhi Police issued a traffic advisory on November 11, shutting down both carriageways and service roads between Chhata Rail Crossing and Subhash Marg Crossing from 6 a.m. until further notice. Public transport rerouted. Schools in border areas were temporarily closed. Police officers across Haryana had their leaves canceled. "We’re treating this like a war footing," said Haryana’s Director General of Police.

Israel’s ambassador to India called the Red Fort blast "heartbreaking and chilling," adding that his country’s intelligence teams were offering technical assistance. Meanwhile, CCTV footage from 13 different locations has been analyzed, identifying 13 individuals under suspicion — some of whom may have traveled to Uttar Pradesh after the blast.

What’s Next? The Long Shadow of Fear

The real danger now isn’t just another bomb. It’s the erosion of trust. In Faridabad, neighbors are watching neighbors. Grocery store clerks are reporting "odd" purchases. Parents are keeping children home from school. A once-bustling market near Sector 17 now feels like a ghost town after 6 p.m.

Experts say this is a classic case of a decentralized terror cell — no central command, no public manifesto, just trained individuals operating in plain sight. Dr. Anjali Mehta, a counter-terrorism analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, notes: "We’ve seen this before in 2008 and 2016. The targets aren’t random. They’re symbolic. Red Fort represents power. Metro stations represent the everyday citizen. This is psychological warfare." The government has now raised alert levels in 11 states — including Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The next 72 hours will be critical. Intelligence suggests another cell may be preparing to move explosives out of Haryana into Rajasthan.

Background: A Pattern of Silence

What makes this case particularly disturbing is how long this network may have operated undetected. In 2023, police in Faridabad seized 140 kg of explosives from a chemistry lab near the Huda City Centre — but no arrests were made. The owner claimed it was "for research." In 2024, a similar cache was found in a rented apartment in Sector 21. Again, no charges.

"We had warnings," admitted a senior Haryana police officer, speaking off-record. "But the paperwork didn’t match the threat level. This time… we got lucky. Or maybe, we just ran out of time." The arrest of Dr. Shakil has raised uncomfortable questions about how a medical professional with access to public spaces and institutional trust could become a key player in a deadly plot. Forensic psychologists say such cases are rare but not unprecedented — especially when ideological radicalization is masked by professional success.