NIA: Red Fort Terror Module Used AI To Make IEDs

The findings are part of a 7,500-page chargesheet filed by the NIA on May 14 in connection with the high-intensity vehicle-borne IED blast that rocked the national capital on November 10 last year.

According to the chargesheet, accused Jasir Bilal Wani allegedly used YouTube and ChatGPT to research how to make rockets and IEDs. He allegedly prepared rocket IEDs and tested them in the Qazigund forest along with other accused persons, the NIA said.

The chargesheet described Jasir as the “in-house engineer” of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) interim terror module linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). AQIS and its offshoots have been notified as terrorist organisations by the Union Home Ministry.

The probe found that Jasir stayed at Al Falah University in Faridabad on several occasions during 2024-25 to provide “technical support” for the conspiracy. The university came under scrutiny after investigators found that three doctors employed there were allegedly involved in the blast case.

Jasir was allegedly introduced to key accused Dr Umer un Nabi by Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather. Investigators said Dr Umer drove the explosives-laden vehicle used in the blast, which killed 11 people and injured several others.

The NIA alleged that Dr Adeel supplied IED ingredients, including powdered sugar and potassium nitrate in the form of NPK fertiliser, while Dr Umer researched improvised rocket IEDs and guided Jasir.

According to the chargesheet, Jasir searched online for “how to make a rocket and in what proportion should the mixture be”, highlighting the alleged misuse of digital and AI platforms for terror activities.

The accused allegedly tested rocket IEDs in the Qazigund forest along with Dr Umer, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and other co-accused. NIA teams later recovered remnants of the devices from the forest during the investigation.

Investigators also alleged that Dr Umer provided Jasir with two drones and instructed him to improve their flying range and payload capacity. The drones were allegedly meant to be fitted with explosives for attacks on security installations in Kashmir and other parts of the country.

The chargesheet said the group also tested a cylinder-based IED in the Youshmurg forest near Mattan in Anantnag. The remnants were later seized by NIA teams during the probe.

During a controlled simulation conducted by the NIA, Jasir allegedly demonstrated before bomb disposal experts how to fabricate functional rocket IEDs using commercially available materials.

The investigation found that Jasir allegedly ordered several components for trigger mechanisms through his Flipkart account between December 2023 and January 2024. The items included a proximity switch, remote-control relay kit, soldering kit and other electronic components. Investigators alleged the purchases were funded by Dr Umer and later used in assembling IED trigger mechanisms.

According to the NIA, Dr Umer allegedly used one such trigger mechanism to detonate the vehicle-borne IED near the Red Fort area. The probe also found that the explosive used in the blast was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), which the accused allegedly manufactured after conducting experiments to perfect the mixture.

The chargesheet said the investigation later uncovered a wider “jihadi conspiracy” involving accused persons, including radicalised medical professionals allegedly inspired by AQIS/AGuH ideology to carry out the attack.