Red Fort blast 2025 'officially attributed' to Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent, says UNSC: what did its report reveal?

The United Nations Security Council has “officially attributed” the November 2025 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 11 people, to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), according to the 38th report of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Published on Monday, the report said AQIS has evolved from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist organisation, strengthening its logistical and financial networks while operating through decentralised, small and dispersed cells.

"Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS, not listed) continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity; it established logistics and financial networks, working in decentralised, small, scattered cells instead of large units. The attack in November 2025 on the Red Fort in Delhi was officially attributed to AQIS," the report from the UNSC body monitoring counter-terrorism sanctions said.

The report also raised concerns over the group’s efforts to use Bangladesh as a base for setting up cells.

It said Al-Qaeda and ISIL (Da’esh) have for years maintained an interest in developing chemical and biological weapons, but have so far been unable to overcome the technical difficulties involved. It added that instructions for producing such weapons have been widely circulated among online terrorist communities.

"For example, in February, ISIL (Da'esh)'s English-language Invade magazine included instructions on how to develop botulinum toxin and cyanide," it mentioned.

ISIL-K has shown a "particular interest, and over the past 12 months circulated instructions on developing the toxin ricin. At the end of 2025, Indian authorities arrested three people, including a doctor, who had been tasked by an ISIL (Da'esh) cell abroad to develop ricin."

The report also noted that tensions in South Asia remained "high", with cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan continuing.

Although the Taliban continued to publicly deny harbouring terrorist groups, Member States warned that the ongoing conflict could provide terrorist organisations with new opportunities and pose additional security challenges for the region.

"The terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan remained largely unchanged. The ability of numerous terrorist groups to operate in Afghanistan constituted an enduring threat to neighbouring countries and the Central Asian region. Despite efforts by the de facto authorities to combat Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan and contain other terrorist groups, the authorities were unable to suppress the terrorist problem," it said.

Red Fort blast 2025

The November blast took place in Delhi around 7 PM last year, when an explosion tore through a moving Hyundai i20 near the Red Fort. The vehicle was allegedly being driven by Umar Un Nabi, who is suspected of carrying out the attack as a suicide bomber and died in the explosion.

The blast claimed 11 lives and left more than two dozen people injured.

Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled 27 August to consider the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) chargesheet in the case. The agency has filed a 7,500-page chargesheet against 11 accused persons suspected of involvement in the attack. The prosecution’s complaint runs into thousands of pages and includes statements from more than 580 witnesses.

(With inputs from agencies)