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Subhead: Intelligence, media reports point to alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad involvement in the Red Fort car-bombing; Pakistan places forces on high alert amid fears of a retaliatory strike.
New Delhi: The car-bomb explosion near the Red Fort on Monday — which Indian authorities increasingly link to the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad — has prompted a sharp response from New Delhi and palpable alarm in Islamabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on an official visit to Bhutan, issued a forceful warning that appears to echo language used before India’s previous cross-border operation, raising speculation in security circles of an imminent “Operation Sindoor 2.0.”
Indian investigators are reportedly probing ties between the alleged mastermind, identified in some reports as Dr. Mohammad Umar, and three associates named Dr. Mujammil Shakeel, Dr. Adil Rather and Dr. Shaheen Shahid. Media coverage suggests elements of the plot have linkages to Pakistan-based operatives, though authorities are treating those connections as subject to ongoing verification.
“Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The perpetrators will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice,” Prime Minister Modi said from Bhutan — language that many analysts say mirrors the earlier posture India took prior to the original Operation Sindoor.
Following the blast, Pakistani authorities reportedly issued a top-level security alert. According to media accounts, Islamabad issued NOTAMs and put air and naval units on heightened readiness; several airfields and bases were placed on red alert amid concerns that India could undertake a targeted response. CNN-News18 and other outlets have reported that Pakistan’s military leadership ordered fighter jets to be kept on standby and directed air-defence systems to be ready for short-notice activation.
Security experts note that the government’s strong public rhetoric, coupled with operational preparedness on both sides, has raised tensions to worrying levels. India’s earlier Operation Sindoor — carried out after a major terror attack and widely publicized for striking militant infrastructure across the border — remains a reference point in official and media discourse. New Delhi has previously stated the operation was suspended at Pakistan’s request, but officials have also made clear that suspension is conditional and can be revisited after subsequent attacks.
For now, Indian investigators continue evidence collection and cross-agency inquiries into the Red Fort incident. Pakistani authorities, meanwhile, are reported to be tightening internal security and monitoring potential fallout from New Delhi’s warning. International diplomats and security analysts are watching closely for any escalation that could draw the two neighbours into a retaliatory spiral.
What remains unclear: Formal confirmation of the attackers’ identities and the chain linking them to Pakistan-based groups is pending. Indian agencies say they will reveal further findings when investigations are complete.
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