UNSC Report Officially Attributes Red Fort Attack to AQIS
UN sanctions monitoring team says Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent has developed decentralised networks while warning of continuing terrorist threats in South Asia.
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 13: The November 2025 terror attack near New Delhi’s Red Fort was “officially attributed” to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), according to a new report submitted to the United Nations Security Council.
The report was prepared by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team for the Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, which monitors threats linked to ISIL and Al-Qaeda.
A powerful explosion struck the Red Fort area in November last year, killing around 15 people and leaving several others injured. The blast occurred in a slow-moving vehicle near a traffic signal close to the Red Fort Metro station.
According to the report, AQIS has continued transforming from a fragmented organisation into a regional terrorist entity by developing logistics and financial networks. Rather than operating through large formations, the group has increasingly relied on decentralised and dispersed cells.
The monitoring team also expressed concern over possible efforts by AQIS to exploit Bangladesh for establishing terrorist cells.
The report highlighted broader concerns surrounding the evolving capabilities and ambitions of Al-Qaeda and ISIL. It said both organisations have maintained an interest in acquiring chemical and biological weapons over several years, although they have so far faced technical difficulties in developing such capabilities.
The document also noted that terrorist groups continue to circulate instructions related to toxic substances through online extremist networks.
It said ISIL-K has shown particular interest in ricin and had circulated material on producing the toxin during the past year. The report also referred to the arrest of three people in India towards the end of 2025, including a doctor, who were allegedly tasked by an ISIL cell operating abroad with developing ricin.
The UN assessment further warned that security conditions in South Asia remained challenging, particularly amid continued cross-border tensions involving Pakistan and Afghanistan.
According to the report, the terrorist threat originating from Afghanistan remained largely unchanged. Numerous militant organisations continue to operate in the country, creating a persistent security concern for neighbouring states and parts of Central Asia.
The monitoring team said Afghanistan’s de facto authorities had taken measures against Islamic State Khorasan and attempted to contain other terrorist groups, but had been unable to fully suppress the wider threat.
The report also noted organisational changes within the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Following its leadership council meeting on December 25, 2025, the group announced a revised structure that included new divisions covering Balochistan and the central region, as well as Kashmir and Gilgit.
The restructuring also included a division referred to by the TTP as its “Air Force”, according to the report.
The findings underline the continuing evolution of terrorist networks in the region and the challenges faced by countries in countering decentralised operations and cross-border militant activity.
