Delhi blast: Umar Nabi was suicide bomber; accomplice Amir Rashid Ali arrested

NEW DELHI: The NIA has confirmed that the explosion near Red Fort was a suicide bomb attack and that Dr Umar Nabi, who carried it out, was a suicide bomber. The blast was caused by an IED. Umar’s accomplice and co-conspirator, Amir Rashid Ali from Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir, has been arrested in Delhi. This is the first arrest made by the NIA in connection with the case, which the agency described as a major breakthrough.

The exploded Hyundai i20 car, bearing registration number HR 26 CE 7476, was registered in Amir’s name. Amir had come to Delhi to purchase the car. Umar, a native of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, was an assistant professor in the Department of General Medicine at Al Falah University in Faridabad. The NIA said it had also seized another vehicle belonging to Umar, suspected to be a red Ford EcoSport. His rented house in Nuh, Haryana, has been sealed. Investigators believe that Umar left from there in the i20 car before the explosion.

Raids in other states
NIA conducted raids across Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh yesterday. The operation was carried out in coordination with local police and other agencies. The agency said its goal is to uncover the full conspiracy behind the attack and arrest all those involved.

According to the NIA’s statement, ten people were killed and 32 others were injured in the blast. The investigation is being led by ADGP Vijay Sakhare. Testimonies from 73 witnesses, including injured persons, have been collected. Meanwhile, three 9mm bullets were recovered from the blast site.

“Mother of Satan” explosive
Investigators are checking whether triacetone triperoxide (TATP), an extremely powerful explosive also known as “Mother of Satan,” was used in the Delhi blast along with ammonium nitrate. The dangerous compound does not require a detonator to explode.