Successive counterterrorism raids across multiple states in October and early November appear to have placed intense pressure on a network of radicalised professionals linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, leading investigators to assess whether the November 10 Delhi car blast was triggered prematurely. The chronology of arrests, seizures and intelligence breakthroughs suggests that the module’s plans may have been disrupted, forcing a panic detonation rather than the larger coordinated operation it had been preparing for.
The Backdrop: October–November 2025
Let us take a look back at the sequence of arrests and uncovering of modules by the various agencies in the country.
October 2025
On 8 October 2025, Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, announced the launch of the group’s first women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, to be led by his sister Sadiya Azhar. Her husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed during Operation Sindoor. The wing is reportedly aimed at expanding the organization’s outreach and recruiting women through social media platforms and madrasas.
Around the same time, multiple sleeper cell modules are busted across the NCR and other states, alerting security agencies to an embedded and accelerating threat.
9 October 2025 (Punjab) – Babbar Khalsa terror cell busted; first in a series of linkages among major active networks.
15 October 2025 (Punjab Border) – Punjab Police bust cross-border arms-and-drugs module, confirming ongoing Pakistan-backed supply chains to Indian terror cells.
17 October 2025 (Andhra Pradesh) – UP & Maharashtra suspects with terror ties held, revealing a multi-state, interconnected recruitment network.
24 October 2025 (Delhi) – ISIS module busted; suspects in capital received ‘fidayeen’ training; intelligence agencies begin connecting dots to broader multi-group activity.
28 October 2025 (Maharashtra) – ATS nabs Pune techie linked to Al-Qaeda. Across India, educated professionals are seen as new recruitment targets.
7 November 2025 (Rajasthan) – Cleric with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) links and four others detained. Radical clerics now identified as ideological anchors.
9 November 2025 (Gujarat) – Gujarat ATS arrests three ISIS terrorists, including a doctor. Pattern of professionals in terror deepens. The trio were allegedly planning a mass casualty terror attack with Ricin, a poison that is much more lethan than cyanide.
Breakthrough & Subsequent Blast
9 Nov 2025 (UP, Kashmir) – Dr Adil Ahmed (JeM links) seized in Saharanpur with 360 kg potassium nitrate, AK-47s, detonators.
10 November 2025 (Morning, Lucknow) – Dr Shaheen (Al-Falah University faculty) arrested, linked directly to JeM’s Sadia (Masood Azhar’s family) and tasked with building Jamat-e-Mominat, JeM’s women’s wing in India.
The Day of the Attack: 10 November 2025 – 6:52 PM – Subhash Marg, Red Fort
A white Hyundai i20 (registration HR 26CE7674) exploded at the Chandni Chowk/Red Fort signal. Over 11 people dead, 30+ injured. It is alleged that about 30–50 kg ammonium nitrate was used as explosive and orchestrated by Dr Umar Farooq, identified through CCTV and later confirmed via DNA.
The vehicle was traced through four previous owners in Awantipora, all residents of Pulwama, who were arrested. Officials stated that the car had moved from Faridabad into Delhi earlier in the day before being stationed near the blast site.
Investigation and Human Network
Following the blast, the probe led to the arrests of:
- Dr Sajad Ahmed Mala (Pulwama),
- Dr Parvez Ansari (brother of Dr Shaheena),
- Irfan Ahmed Wagay, an ex-paramedic and radical cleric.
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Investigators identified these individuals as part of the organisational core.
Al-Falah University as Hub?
Al-Falah University in Faridabad emerged as a central point in the network. At least six faculty members — including Dr Umar, Dr Muzammil, Dr Shaheena, and Dr Adil — were linked to the module.
Authorities seized 2,900 kg of explosives from premises rented by individuals associated with the university. A raid on cleric Ishtiaq’s quarters inside the campus yielded assault rifles, timers and additional materials. Investigators assessed the cache as evidence of preparation for multiple or larger coordinated attacks, possibly planned for December 6 or Republic Day 2026.
The Poster Trail
The investigation originally began when JeM propaganda posters appeared in Srinagar on 19 October 2025, containing threats of revenge. The arrests of overground workers linked to the posters led authorities to cleric Wagay, whose interrogation helped expose the professional doctor-based module.
International Components
Agencies traced funding through digital wallets operating out of Istanbul and Doha. Investigators said the module’s handlers were based in Afghanistan and Turkey, and that ISI played a role in overall coordination. Additionally, Dr Shaheen was tasked with developing the women’s wing of the JeM in India.
Shifting Tactics: White-Collar Terror
Officials stated that the probe revealed the operation of a white-collar ecosystem in which doctors, professors and technical experts acted as primary operatives rather than conventional militants. Multiple modules in Kashmir, NCR and southern states were coordinated through social media channels and encrypted applications. Radicalisation was linked to clerics and female operatives associated with senior JeM figures.
(This article is based on an X thread by Netram Defence Review)
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