UN Security Council Attributes 2025 Red Fort Blast to Al-Qaeda Subcontinent

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has officially attributed the November 2025 blast near Delhi's Red Fort to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

This attribution comes from the 38th report of the UNSC's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, published on Monday. The blast on November 10, 2025, killed 11 people and injured several others. This marks the first time a UN document has linked the attack to AQIS. The report states that AQIS has evolved from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist organization, strengthening its logistical and financial networks.

The group operates through decentralized, small, and dispersed cells instead of large units. The report also raised concerns over AQIS's efforts to use Bangladesh as a base for establishing cells. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) continues its probe into the attack. The NIA has alleged that those chargesheeted in the case were linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), which the agency describes as an offshoot of AQIS.

Umer Un Nabi. However, the charges against the accused are yet to be judicially tested, with the court yet to take cognizance of the NIA chargesheet. The UNSC report also mentioned that Al-Qaeda and ISIL (Da'esh) have maintained an interest in developing chemical and biological weapons for years, but have so far been unable to overcome technical difficulties.

Instructions for producing such weapons have been widely circulated among online terrorist communities. For example, in February, ISIL (Da'esh)'s English-language Invade magazine included instructions on how to develop botulinum toxin and cyanide. ISIL-K has shown a particular interest in ricin, circulating instructions on developing the toxin over the past 12 months.