Delhi Terror Plot Foiled: 300 Kg Explosives Seized on Outskirts, Multi-Agency Probe Underway

New Delhi, November 10 — In a significant counterterrorism breakthrough, security agencies have seized over 300 kilograms of high-grade explosives from the outskirts of Delhi, thwarting what officials believe could have been a major terror strike in the national capital. The discovery came amid heightened security following the Red Fort car blast, which killed 10 people and injured 24 earlier in the evening.

According to senior intelligence officials, the explosives were recovered during coordinated raids conducted by the Delhi Police Special Cell, National Investigation Agency (NIA), and Intelligence Bureau (IB) on Monday afternoon in Bahadurgarh, on the Delhi–Haryana border.

The cache, comprising ammonium nitrate-based compounds and detonator materials, was discovered in an abandoned warehouse belonging to a logistics operator. Officials suspect the materials were being stockpiled for a multi-target attack across Delhi and NCR.

A Plot Weeks in the Making

Sources told All India Story that the operation stemmed from intelligence inputs received two weeks ago regarding the movement of suspicious consignments from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan toward Delhi. Surveillance of multiple trucks using altered number plates led investigators to a warehouse complex in Bahadurgarh’s Sector 17 industrial zone, where the explosives were stored.

A senior officer involved in the operation revealed, “We found more than 300 kg of material resembling ammonium nitrate, along with fuse wires, batteries, and pressure triggers. The nature and quantity of the materials suggest preparations for a high-impact coordinated blast.”

The seizure coincided with the Red Fort explosion, prompting investigators to explore whether the two incidents are connected. Preliminary findings indicate that the chemical composition of the Bahadurgarh explosives matches samples recovered from the Red Fort blast site.

National Security on Edge

Union Home Minister Amit Shah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi late Monday night, confirming that all central agencies are on high alert. “We are treating this as part of a coordinated network. Every possible link is being traced, from local operatives to cross-border handlers,” Shah stated.

Officials from the National Security Guard (NSG) have joined forensic teams in analysing the recovered materials, while the NIA is tracing financial trails to identify potential funders and suppliers.

An NSG bomb-disposal official said the seized explosives appeared “military-grade,” suggesting they were intended for maximum structural and human damage. Investigators are also probing whether the material originated from previous cross-border smuggling operations.

Political Tensions Amid Security Crisis

The development has sparked sharp political debate in Delhi, which is already reeling under a severe air pollution emergency. Opposition parties criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for what they called “administrative paralysis,” while the ruling party accused the Centre of politicising national security.

Citizens’ groups, who were staging protests over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, were briefly detained near ITO as police diverted resources to handle the Red Fort blast and subsequent terror threat.

Adding to the day’s turbulence, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear petitions filed by the DMK and Trinamool Congress (TMC) against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which opposition leaders have termed “unconstitutional.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee labelled the exercise a “super emergency.”

Wider Pattern of Escalation

Security analysts say the explosives seizure underscores a worrying resurgence of terror networks attempting to re-establish their presence in India’s northern states.

Retired DGP Prakash Singh, speaking to All India Story, said, “This discovery may not be isolated. Terror outfits often use peripheral states like Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh as logistical corridors. Delhi is the final operational target.”

Dr Tara Karta, former Director of India’s Defence Intelligence Wing, added that “such large-scale stockpiling indicates a local facilitation network with sleeper cells ready for activation. The timing — immediately after the Red Fort blast — cannot be coincidental.”

Next Steps

The NIA and Delhi Police are jointly interrogating three suspects detained from the Bahadurgarh site. Digital devices, including mobile phones and encrypted USB drives, have been sent for forensic imaging. Investigators are also examining the possibility of foreign funding routed through cryptocurrency wallets.

While officials have urged citizens to remain calm, Delhi and its adjoining states continue to remain under Level 5 alert, the highest security classification under the Home Ministry’s urban threat matrix.

As Delhi grapples with both pollution and panic, the twin crises have exposed the fragile balance between daily life and national security in India’s capital. The seizure of 300 kg of explosives stands as a chilling reminder that vigilance, intelligence coordination, and civic awareness remain India’s first lines of defence against those seeking to destabilise it.