AI Misuse in Red Fort Blast: NIA Uncovers Al-Qaida Links
Investigation into Red Fort Blast
Destruction caused by the blast near Red Fort on November 10 (Photo: @ParmarSSC_X/x)
New Delhi, May 24: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed that a suspect involved in the car explosion near the Red Fort in Delhi is connected to a faction of the global terrorist group Al-Qaida. This individual reportedly exploited artificial intelligence (AI) and online resources for what has been termed 'terror engineering.'
As per official reports released on Sunday, Jasir Bilal Wani, one of the individuals named in the chargesheet, allegedly utilized platforms like ChatGPT and YouTube to acquire knowledge on constructing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including inquiries about the proportions needed for rocket creation.
Investigators noted that the chargesheet illustrates a detailed and systematic approach by Wani to design, test, and assemble explosive devices, likening his efforts to a laboratory-grade operation.
Wani is identified in the chargesheet as the 'in-house engineer' for a temporary module of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), a group associated with Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). He allegedly created rocket IEDs using commercially available materials, conducting tests in the forested regions of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA reported that Wani executed trial runs in the Qazigund forest alongside co-accused individuals, including Dr. Umer un Nabi and Dr. Muzammil Shakeel. Remnants of the explosive devices were later recovered during field investigations prompted by disclosures made during the inquiry.
The chargesheet further claims that Wani ordered components for IED trigger mechanisms via his Flipkart account between December 2023 and January 2024. These components included inductive proximity switches, relay transmitters, soldering kits, heat guns, and various electronic parts.
Investigators revealed that these purchases were financed by co-accused Dr. Umer, who allegedly utilized the assembled trigger mechanism in the vehicle-borne IED explosion near the Red Fort, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and injuries to many others.
The investigation also uncovered that the accused had fabricated and tested various types of IEDs, including both rocket-based and cylinder-based devices. One test involving a cylinder IED was reportedly conducted in the Youshmarg forest near Mattan in Anantnag, with remnants later seized by the agency.
Sources indicated that Wani demonstrated to a bomb detection and disposal squad expert team during a controlled simulation how functional rocket IEDs could be assembled using readily available materials.
Additionally, the NIA alleged that Dr. Umer provided Wani with two drones and directed him to enhance their flying range and payload capacity, intending to weaponize them with explosives to target security installations in Kashmir and beyond.
The investigation has also led to scrutiny of Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, after it was discovered that Wani had stayed on campus multiple times in 2024-25 while allegedly offering technical assistance for the conspiracy.
Three doctors affiliated with the university have also been implicated in the case.
The NIA stated that the broader investigation unveiled what it termed a 'jihadi conspiracy' involving radicalized medical professionals allegedly motivated by AQIS/AGuH ideology, working towards executing the deadly attack.
The findings are part of a comprehensive 7,500-page chargesheet submitted by the NIA on May 14 to a special NIA court concerning the high-intensity vehicle-borne IED explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on November 10 of the previous year.