Security agencies believe that a recent crackdown on suspected terror cells may have averted a major attack
Raids conducted by Indian security agencies on multiple locations are likely to have prompted the Delhi blast suspect to act in haste and carry out Monday’s attack without full planning, sources close to the Indian government have told RT.
The explosion in a crowded area of Delhi on Monday left 13 dead and over 20 injured.
The raids, conducted in Pulwama in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and areas around Delhi, led to the seizure of significant quantities of explosives, RT sources said on Wednesday.
The suspect is reportedly a doctor from Pulwama, and the explosion could have been a premature act triggered in haste, as the bomb was not fully developed, sources said. The blast did not cause a crater, and shrapnel and projectiles were not found, they added.
Security agencies believe “pan-India alertness and the coordinated crackdown” on suspected terror cells may have averted a major attack, according to the sources.
On Monday, two people were arrested, and 2,900kg of material used to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and bomb-making components were seized in Faridabad, which is part of the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). Similar raids and detentions were reported from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and other parts of the country.
Monday’s blast near the Red Fort metro station happened after a 20-day probe and the arrest of eight people, including a female doctor, for suspected links to terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir, The Hindu reported.
The Red Fort metro station remained shut on Wednesday as a security measure. Police personnel and paramilitary troopers have been deployed across all entry and exit points in Delhi, according to reports.
In April, a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir killed 26 tourists and escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
New Delhi, which has officially said any future terror attacks will be considered “an act of war,” has not officially blamed Islamabad for Monday’s attack.
