A major counter-terror investigation is underway in India after a car explosion in New Delhi that killed 13 people, with law enforcement agencies pointing attention towards the disputed region of Kashmir and the dismantling of a suspected terror module. 

Late on 10 November 2025, a vehicle exploded near the historic Red Fort monument in Delhi during rush hour traffic, marking one of the deadliest blasts in the city in recent years. Initially eight people died, but by the investigation’s early findings the death toll had risen to 13.  Authorities immediately treated the incident under India’s stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing the scale of explosives involved and the modus operandi. 

In the wake of the blast, investigators linked the vehicle and its route to the nearby state of Haryana where a major cache of explosives—approximately 2,900 kg of bomb-making material—was uncovered in a raid. That discovery came amid arrests in Kashmir for a suspected terror network involving radicalised professionals.  Two of the arrested were doctors operating in Faridabad who hailed from Kashmir, a sign that the module may have drawn on middle-class professionals rather than traditional militants. 

Police-statements and investigative sources suggest the network may be operating across state lines and perhaps internationally, with alleged links to Pakistan-based organisations such as Jaish‑e‑Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat‑ul‑Hind.  Although no formal public claim of responsibility has yet been verified, investigators say they are following leads that point to a “white-collar ecosystem” of radicalised professionals in Kashmir in contact with foreign handlers. 

The focus on Kashmir is driven by the arrested men’s origin, the large explosives haul, and intelligence that the vehicle used in the Delhi blast may have been purchased with the involvement of a Kashmir-based individual. For example, investigators say the registered owner of the Hyundai i20 car used in the blast is from Samboora in Tamil-Pampore district of Kashmir and is now in NIA (National Investigation Agency) custody for alleged logistical support. 

The unfolding story raises multiple questions that go beyond the immediate blast. One key issue is how professional networks in Kashmir may be playing a role in terror modules with broader reach, blurring the line between local insurgency and trans-national terrorism. Another is how the Indian government will respond to pressure for cross-border retaliation against Pakistan, given the delicate regional security context.

For Indian national security planners and business-leaders alike the implications are significant. The use of a major tourist-and-business zone in Delhi as the site of the attack underscores vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure, critical buildings and key landmarks. Investors and international companies must factor in heightened security risk in capital zones and the possibility of increased border tensions affecting supply-chains and regional policy. For Kashmir, the focus on arrests may bring heavier security-operations in a region already contested and sensitive, which could affect local stability, trade corridors and humanitarian conditions.

One might argue that the intelligence aspect is also evolving. The discovery of large quantities of explosives together with professionals as accused suspects suggests a shift in strategy from traditional rural-based militant attacks to urban-based modules leveraging professional cover. That transition could force Indian security agencies to rethink recruitment-monitoring, financial-trail tracking and urban surveillance strategies.

Politically this event could trigger broader shifts in India’s domestic and foreign policy. Domestically, the government of Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have vowed to “hunt down each and every culprit” and have framed the incident as a conspiracy by “anti-national forces”.  But policymakers will also have to balance a calibrated diplomatic response with Islamabad, as past incidents have at times escalated into cross-border military confrontation. Kashmir’s role as both locus of arrest-waves and symbolic insurgency zone means the government may face pressure to escalate or strategically manage its next steps without inflaming regional conflict.

In terms of law enforcement, the case is already centred in the hands of the NIA which has taken over the investigation. It has detained hundreds of suspects in Kashmir and nearby states, while ensuring high-security court hearings, in-camera proceedings and coordination among multiple state police and central agencies.  The intelligence agencies now face the challenge of mapping out the network’s linkages, unravelling funding flows, travel-trajectories and social-professional profiles of suspected perpetrators, and doing so under strict legal and civil-rights frameworks that India must observe.

The broader message for the Indo-Pacific region is the evolving nature of terror threat landscapes. Gone may be the open jungle-based insurgent camps; instead, intelligence-driven modules embedded in civilian spaces or professional networks may be the next frontier. The Delhi blast and its Kashmir-linked arrests may mark one such inflection point.

In short, the event is not just about one car explosion in Delhi—it may signify a major shift in how terror networks recruit, operate and are challenged in India’s urban heartland. The question going forward will be whether authorities can dismantle the wider module, prevent copy-cat tactics and maintain regional stability while upholding civil rights and legal norms.