Delhi blast LIVE updates: Car explosion labelled as 'terrorist attack' by government kills 13

Exclusive information obtained by CNN-News18 from J&K Police sources indicates that the terrorists responsible for the deadly car blast near the Red Fort metro station in New Delhi had initially planned a major attack in Kashmir, similar to the 2019 Pulwama incident. However, the apprehension of one of the key suspects thwarted their primary objective.

This critical arrest forced the module to change tactics and execute the explosive attack in the capital as a desperate, last-minute measure. J&K Police sources detailed the identities of the core team responsible for the Monday evening blast, which tragically resulted in the deaths of 13 people and left several others injured.

“The core team included five people: Umar [the bomber], cleric Maulvi Irfan, doctors Adeel Rather and Muzammil Shakeel, and a woman. The woman financed Muzammil as she was his girlfriend, but we are still not sure how involved she was. Apart from this, there are two people who seem to be important. These are Adeel’s brother, Muzaffar, who has fled to Afghanistan; and Aamir, who bought the car,” the source told CNN-News18.

Speaking in the context of the recent blast near the Red Fort in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasised that the entire population of Jammu and Kashmir should not be labelled as terrorists. He stressed that the acts of violence and attempts to disrupt peace and communal harmony in the region are carried out by only a small, isolated group of people.

VIDEO | Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah speaking on the recent blast near Delhi's Red Fort, says, "Not every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist. It is only a handful of people who have always tried to disturb the peace and brotherhood in Kashmir."

(Full video… pic.twitter.com/PrntfxDUdP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 13, 2025

Dr. Shaheena Saeed, a prime suspect in the Delhi Red Fort blast, reportedly hinted that her “real work” began after 4 pm, once she finished her duties at Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Faridabad, sources told NDTV. Investigators said she carried a rosary (misbaha) and a hadith book. A colleague described her as “strange,” noting she often ignored rules and left campus without notice. The institute, which has received a show-cause notice from NAAC, has denied any link to the attack and pledged full cooperation. Intelligence agencies have identified Saeed as the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s women’s wing.

Read Firstpost’s explainer for a detailed overview about her.

DNA test confirms Pulwama-based Dr Umar Nabi was the man behind the Red Fort blast — a key breakthrough linking the Delhi explosion to Faridabad’s Al-Falah University. Click to know why this is significant.

BIG: Yet another CCTV footage of Delhi Red Fort Suicide Bomber Dr. Umar Nabi at Badarpur Border toll around 8am on Monday when he entered Delhi from Faridabad in Haryana before going to Mayur Vihar, CP and finally Old City Red Fort. Umar was the driver who exploded the car. pic.twitter.com/dYweNQY0jm

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 13, 2025

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has stated that Al‑Falah University in Faridabad neither holds accreditation nor has applied for one, according to CNNNews18. Although the university’s website claimed its schools had received NAAC accreditation, the Council clarified those claims were incorrect: only its engineering college had previously earned an “A” grade (in 2013) and a teacher-education school in 2011 — both of whose accreditation validity has lapsed. The university itself has never completed the NAAC accreditation process. NAAC has reportedly issued a show-cause notice to the institution and may recommend sanctions.

A man who parked a red Ford EcoSport in Haryana’s Khandawali village has been detained by the Faridabad Police in connection with the Red Fort blast that occurred on Monday.

According to officials, the car — a red EcoSport bearing the registration number DL 10 CK 0458 — is owned by Umar Nabi, the main accused in the explosion. The vehicle was recovered from near Khandawali village, and police have taken it into custody for investigation.

The children of Mohsin, a Meerut resident killed in the November 11 car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, have urged authorities to punish those responsible for the tragedy.

In separate statements to the news agency IANS, both the victim’s son and daughter demanded strict action against the culprits, with the son simply stating, “Punish those who are responsible.”

The blast, which occurred at 6:52 pm, was so powerful that a severed human arm was discovered nearly 300 metres away from the explosion site.

A 12-second video shows the arm lying on the roof of a shop in Lajpat Rai Market, located some distance from where the blast took place. The limb, severed up to the forearm, was seen resting atop the shop’s structure.

A team of FSL and Delhi Police found a body part in New Lajpat Rai Market, near the blast site today (Nov 13). The body part is being taken for forensic examination.

Meanwhile, DNA samples of Dr Umar Nabi Bhat, who allegedly drove the i20 car involved in the blast near Red Fort… pic.twitter.com/4zXYt1WGf6

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) November 13, 2025

Britain’s Deputy PM David Lammy, speaking at an FCDO bilateral partnership event, condemned the recent Delhi terror attack, offering “deep condolences” to those affected.

“I share my deep condolences to everyone who has been affected in the Delhi terrorist attack on Monday… It was one of the very first countries that I visited within weeks of becoming Foreign Secretary last year. It was a great honour to meet with PM Modi to discuss our shared history and shared future. What a future India has, it is the emerging superpower of the 21st century,” he said.

VIDEO | London, UK: At a programme organised in honour of the bilateral partnership hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO), Britain’s Deputy PM David Lammy (@DavidLammy) condemns the Delhi terror attack.

He says, “I share my deep condolences to everyone… pic.twitter.com/QhwM6fIo0J

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 13, 2025

A medical student named Mohammad Arif has been taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Kanpur for his alleged links to Delhi blast suspect Dr Shaheen Saeed, officials said.

Gyanendra Kumar, Chief Medical Staff at LPS Institute of Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery in Kanpur, told ANI that Dr Arif, a first-year cardiology student from Anantnag, Kashmir, was summoned for questioning yesterday evening. Kumar added that the institute administration had no knowledge of his life outside the campus.

He also noted that Arif had been training in the Cardiology department for the past three months, and no unusual behaviour had been observed during that time.

“Dr Arif is a first-year cardiology student. He took admission through counselling 2-3 months ago. He doesn’t live on campus. He lives outside. At 7:00 in the evening, we were informed that a team had called him for questioning. He’s from Kashmir. I have no knowledge of whether there was any such behaviour or any complaint before this; we are not aware of anything like this. We do not know with whom he lives. We have no idea who his roommate is. We do not know about anyone,” CMS Kumar said.

Dr Shaheen Saeed was earlier arrested in a case involving arms and explosives found in Faridabad.