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New Delhi: An October 2025 Intelligence Bureau report said Islamic State was breaking into the infrastructure of the Indian Mujahideen, which had been largely wiped out a decade earlier, and that this could be linked to the Red Fort blast that killed 13 people.
The Indian Mujahideen may have collapsed after the arrest of its top man Yasin Bhatkal, but agencies had always identified dormant modules of the terror outfit and said these could be used by other groups.
As the scope of investigation into the Delhi Red Fort blast widens today, security officials say Jaish-e-Mohammed, which runs the Faridabad module, could have breached the infrastructure of the Indian Mujahideen, which has been largely dormant for more than 10 years.
Although no direct link has been established so far between the Indian Mujahideen and the Faridabad module, investigators suspect that Jaish-e-Mohammed may have used the infrastructure of the defunct organization to procure arms and ammunition.
After the arrest of Bhatkal and his associates, many members of the Indian Mujahideen went underground. An Intelligence Bureau official said that they are still hiding here and there and are posing a big threat to the system.
While some have remained silent, others have joined hands with terrorist groups. For example, Shafi Armar, a former member of the Indian Mujahideen, joined the Islamic State in Syria after the collapse of his organization. He turned out to be a dangerous operator and was credited with single-handedly setting up Indian operations for the organization.
However, Armar was killed in an airstrike following which his wife Rabia alias Umm Osama, who is reportedly based out of Oman, is running operations in India.
Maharashtra ATS, during investigation, found that she was actively recruiting youth and was even overseeing a recruitment programme.
Officials say the Indian Mujahideen was possibly one of the most dangerous domestic organizations in India. During its reign of terror it created a huge network across the country. It was most active in South India, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The modules that Indian Mujahideen had created in these parts of the country were capable of attacking any place.
The Delhi blasts investigation is now focusing on the routes that the accused persons took to obtain the ammonium nitrate. Around 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized from the accused, who were part of the Faridabad module.
Former Indian Mujahideen member Mirza Shahdab Baig is now on the radar of agencies. During the crackdown on the organization, Baig fled the country and settled in Saudi Arabia. Agencies now suspect that he is in Afghanistan and working for the Jaish-e-Mohammed module there.
According to a dossier prepared by the Intelligence Bureau, when Baig was with the Indian Mujahideen, he was in charge of explosives. He was solely responsible for the procurement of ammonium nitrate for the outfit. He was also an expert bomb maker and had mastered the art of preparing IEDs using ammonium nitrate.
When the investigation into the Delhi blasts began, the police came to know that the members of the Faridabad module were being handled by a person from Afghanistan. Several members of the Jaish-e-Mohammed module established in Afghanistan in 2021 had assisted members of the Faridabad module.
The agencies suspect that the Faridabad module may have tapped Baig to assist in operations. Baig would have been an obvious choice for Jaish-e-Mohammed as he knows the ins and outs of the system in the country, especially when it comes to the procurement of ammonium nitrate.
An official says that the role of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has also come to light in this operation. Members of the Faridabad module used a mixture of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and ammonium nitrate to prepare explosives. This is a mixture that is used by the Islamic State because it is easier for beginners to handle.
An official said that Jaish-e-Mohammed may have used the expertise of both Baig and ISKP for the procurement and preparation of explosives. Another reason agencies suspect Begg played a major role is his connection to Al-Falah University.
Many doctors of this university were arrested in the Faridabad module case. Beg was actually a student of this university and had also taught there before adopting the path of large-scale terrorism.
Police say that despite fleeing the country, he was in contact with many students in the college. This is an important link and the investigation will now focus on the bigger picture. It is important for us to take a closer look at the dormant modules of the Indian Mujahideen. Indian Mujahideen had a strong infrastructure and many groups are now looking to take advantage of this to establish a full-fledged domestic terrorist organization in the country.
–IANS