At least nine people have been killed and 29 injured in a massive explosion at a police station in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The blast occurred at midnight on Friday (14 November) at the Nowgam police station near Srinagar, reportedly triggered by a large quantity of chemicals seized and stored there, according to Indian media outlet NDTV.
Most of the victims were police personnel and forensic officials who were examining the explosives. Two senior officials from the Srinagar administration also lost their lives in the explosion. The explosives had recently been brought in from Faridabad, Haryana, for verification when the blast occurred.
The injured were rushed to the Indian Army’s 92 Base Hospital and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). Senior police officials have arrived at the scene, and the entire area has been cordoned off.
Earlier, Nowgam police had uncovered leads related to posters circulated by the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. These posters revealed the presence of a terror module involving highly-educated radicalized professionals. The investigation led to the seizure of large quantities of explosives and the arrest of several so-called “terror doctors.”
In October, Adil Ahmad was arrested for allegedly putting up such posters, which contained threats of large-scale attacks on security forces and “outsiders” in Kashmir. His arrest on 27 October helped uncover a larger network involved in a blast in Delhi earlier this week that killed 13 people.
According to police, the poster investigation exposed a “white-collar terror ecosystem,” where radicalized students and professionals were working closely with foreign handlers. CCTV footage helped identify Adil, who had been working at the Government Medical College in Anantnag until last October.
An assault rifle was recovered from his personal locker after his arrest. During interrogation, Adil named another doctor, Muzammil Shakil, who worked at Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad.
Based on his statements, joint police teams in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana seized nearly 3,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate from multiple locations. Following Shakil’s arrest, more leads emerged, and another doctor, Shaheen Saeed, was detained from the same university on Monday.
Hours later, a Hyundai i20 exploded near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort, killing 13 and injuring over 20 people, with several vehicles nearby damaged.
The following day, another doctor’s name surfaced — Umar Nabi, who was reportedly driving the explosive-laden car before the blast. Sources from India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) told NDTV that the suspected terrorists likely panicked after the large seizure of explosives and attempted to flee hurriedly.
According to NIA, the nature of the blast suggests the suspect may have failed to properly assemble the improvised explosive device (IED). Investigators believe it wasn’t properly activated due to the urgency of the situation.
