Red Fort attack officially attributed to Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent: UNSC report
The Red Fort terror attack in New Delhi in November last year has been officially attributed to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) by a United Nations Security Council monitoring body, according to a new report.
The 38th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee concerning ISIL and Al-Qaeda, was published on Monday, August 10, 2026. The report states that the attack in November 2025 on the Red Fort in Delhi was attributed to AQIS.
The explosion, which occurred near the Red Fort metro station, killed approximately 15 people and injured many more. Earlier reports said the blast ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal.
The UN report said AQIS “continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity.” It noted that the group established logistics and financial networks, operating in decentralised small cells rather than large units. The report also expressed concern about AQIS trying to exploit Bangladesh to establish cells there.
On the subject of chemical and biological weapons, the monitoring team said Al-Qaeda and ISIL have shown sustained interest over many years but have so far failed to overcome technical challenges. Instructions for developing such weapons have been shared widely in online terrorist communities. For example, in February, ISIL’s English-language Invade magazine included instructions on how to develop botulinum toxin and cyanide.
ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) displayed particular interest in ricin and circulated instructions on developing the toxin over the past 12 months, the report said. At the end of 2025, Indian authorities arrested three people, including a doctor, who had been tasked by an ISIL cell abroad to develop ricin, according to the report.
The report also highlighted high regional tensions in South Asia, with cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan continuing. The Taliban publicly continued to deny harbouring terrorist groups. Member States expressed concern that the conflict could create opportunities for terror groups, adding to security challenges in the region.
“The terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan remained largely unchanged. The ability of numerous terrorist groups to operate in Afghanistan constituted an enduring threat to neighbouring countries and the Central Asian region. Despite efforts by the de facto authorities to combat Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan and contain other terrorist groups, the authorities were unable to suppress the terrorist problem,” the report said.
Separately, on December 25 last year, following its annual rahbari shura (leadership council), Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced a revised structure with two new divisions covering Balochistan and the central region, and Kashmir and Gilgit. The restructuring also included a new division described as the TTP Air Force, the report said.
The UN report provides an authoritative assessment of the evolving terror landscape in South Asia. The attribution of the Red Fort attack to AQIS underscores the group’s operational reach and the continued need for regional and international counter-terrorism cooperation.
