New Delhi: According to a report published in The Print, posters praising the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group found in Srinagar’s Bunpora Nowgam area in October have become a key lead in the Red Fort blast investigation. The posters, signed by a person identifying himself as ‘Commander Hanzala Bhai’, warned locals against “sheltering Indian predators” and engaging in actions “against Sharia.”
The discovery of these posters on 19 October alerted Jammu and Kashmir Police, who began tracking their origin. Their investigation led to the arrest of three overground workers and a cleric, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, from Shopian. During interrogation, Ahmad revealed details that connected the network to Muzammil Shakeel in Faridabad, leading to further arrests of Adeel Ahmed Rather and Shaheen Shahid.
According to security officials, the module is linked to both Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Kashmir. The investigation intensified after a white i20 car exploded near the Red Fort Metro station on Monday evening, killing 13 people. The driver, identified as Umar Nabi, worked at Al Falah Medical School in Faridabad.
Hours before the explosion, police raided Shakeel’s workplace and seized 2,900 kilograms of explosive material, including 353 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. Investigators believe the same substance was used in the Red Fort blast and are determining whether it was a suicide or accidental detonation.
The posters have now been recognised as the first red flag indicating a coordinated terror plot stretching from Kashmir to Delhi.
