AQIS Linked to 2025 Red Fort Blast in UN Report, NIA Points to Offshoot
A UN report links AQIS to the 2025 Red Fort blast. The NIA chargesheet names its offshoot, Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind, as primarily responsible.
A United Nations Security Council monitoring report released last month has attributed the November 2025 bomb blast near the Red Fort in Delhi to al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The attack, which killed 15 people, was the deadliest in the national capital in over a decade. While the blast represented a significant security failure, officials noted that prior raids in Faridabad, which led to the seizure of explosives and weapons, likely prevented an even larger tragedy.
The National Investigation Agency's (NIA) chargesheet has identified Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of AQIS, as the group primarily responsible for the attack. AGuH has previously been linked to militant activities in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.
AQIS was established in September 2014 by then-al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. The group's formation came at a time when al-Qaeda's influence was waning due to the rise of the Islamic State and the deaths of key leaders. It was created to focus on operations in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, with its leadership based in Pakistan. The founding chief, Asim Umar, was killed in 2019, and Usama Mahmoud, also known as Abu Zar, is the current leader.
The group's ideology is rooted in Salafi-Jihadism, and it has stated objectives that include establishing Sharia law and liberating Muslims in the subcontinent. Its media wing publishes a magazine, the name of which was changed to reflect a shift in focus from the AfPak region to Kashmir and India.
For years, AQIS struggled to establish a direct presence in India due to intense security crackdowns and the dominance of local militant groups. Instead, it has acted as an umbrella organisation, aligning with and supporting local factions. This strategy led to the creation of AGuH in 2017 by Zakir Musa, a former Hizbul Mujahideen member who pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. Musa was killed in 2019.
Prior to the 2025 Delhi blast, AQIS's operational footprint was largely limited to Pakistan and Bangladesh. The group's funding is sourced from a combination of al-Qaeda's central network, charities, private donors, and other activities, including kidnappings for ransom. The UN report marks a significant development in officially attributing the Red Fort attack to the al-Qaeda network.