The United States has termed the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort as a terrorist attack, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praising India’s “measured and professional” handling of the investigation.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rubio said India was doing a “very good job” in probing the incident that claimed at least nine lives earlier this week. “The Indians need to be commended. They’ve been very measured, cautious and very professional in how they’re carrying out this investigation. It clearly was a terrorist attack,” Rubio said, adding that the blast involved a car loaded with highly explosive materials.
Rubio noted that he offered US assistance to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meet in Canada, but stressed that India is “very capable” of managing the probe independently.
“The Indians need to be commended. They have been very professional and in how they have carried out this investigation. This was very clearly a terrorist attack,” says U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Red Fort blasts pic.twitter.com/qyoIKxTB6h
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“We have offered to help, but I think they are very capable of these investigations. They don’t need our help, and they are doing a good job,” Rubio said.
The top US diplomat also expressed condolences to the victims’ families, saying Washington stood in solidarity with New Delhi against terrorism.
India Declares Blast a “Terrorist Incident”
The Indian government formally designated Monday’s explosion near Red Fort as a “terrorist incident”, vowing to bring the culprits and their collaborators to justice.
“The country has witnessed a heinous terror incident perpetrated by anti-national forces,” read a Cabinet statement released on Wednesday.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who chaired a high-level security meeting following the blast, directed agencies to “hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident.”
Key Suspect Linked to Pakistan-Based JeM
Investigators have identified Dr. Umar Mohammad, also known as Dr. Umar un-Nabi, as the prime suspect in the case. A DNA test confirmed that Umar was driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort, killing nine people and injuring nearly two dozen others.
Police sources revealed that Umar, who worked at Al Falah University in Faridabad, had links with the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). Two of his alleged associates, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel and Dr. Adil Rather, were arrested earlier in Faridabad, leading to the recovery of nearly 2,900 kg of explosives.
CCTV footage has traced Umar’s movements across Delhi on the day of the explosion, showing him driving through multiple districts before parking the car near the Red Fort around 3:19 pm.
A Deadly Reminder of Security Challenges
The blast marks the most significant terror-related incident in the capital since the April attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. Authorities have heightened security across major cities amid ongoing investigations into possible cross-border links.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
