Indian government vows to bring perpetrators of deadly car blast near Red Fort to justice, with 12 killed and 30 injured in suspected terror attack
NEW DELHI: India’s government has vowed to bring the perpetrators of a deadly car blast in the capital to justice following the suspected terror incident.
The powerful explosion on Monday killed at least 12 people and wounded 30 others according to hospital officials.
It was the most significant security incident since April when 26 mainly Hindu civilians were killed at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“The country has witnessed a heinous terror incident, perpetrated by anti-national forces, through a car explosion near the Red Fort,” a cabinet statement read after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This marked the first official confirmation that India is treating the blast as an act of terrorism.
The historic Red Fort in crowded Old Delhi is one of India’s most well-known landmarks and the site of the prime minister’s annual Independence Day speech.
The cabinet expressed profound grief over the loss of lives and maintained India’s policy of “zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms.”
It condemned what it called a “dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives.”
Ritu Saxena, the chief medical officer of Delhi’s LNJP hospital, confirmed “12 people have died and more than 30 are injured.”
Witnesses described how the car exploded in traffic with people caught in the surge of flames being set on fire.
The explosion came hours after Indian police said they had arrested a gang and seized explosive materials and assault rifles.
Police said the men were linked with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Islamist group, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a Kashmir offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
Both groups are listed as terrorist organisations in India.
The government ordered an investigation with the “utmost urgency” to ensure “the perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay.”
India’s National Investigation Agency is leading the probe into the explosion.
The government reaffirmed India’s “steadfast resolve to safeguard the lives” of all citizens consistent with its commitment to national security.
It also thanked foreign governments for messages of solidarity following the attack.
The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, with both nations recently exchanging accusations of supporting terrorist activities against each other. – AFP
