2 Delhi Blast Suspects Met Jaish Handlers In Turkiye: Sources

Two of the three suspected doctors linked to Monday's Red Fort suicide blast had visited Turkiye to meet their Jaish-e-Mohammed handlers, per sources.

Dr Muzammil Shakeel, a close aide of Dr Umar Nabi, was arrested along with Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather on Monday morning in a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir police and Haryana police to bust a "white-collar" terror module. The police also seized 2,900 kg of explosives and weapons such as assault rifles and pistols. This, according to sources, triggered Nabi to carry out the blast.

While Monday's blast near Delhi's Red Fort metro station killed nine people, the attackers had originally planned a bigger attack that would have replicated the November 26, 2008 attacks in Mumbai. On target were Delhi's Constitution Club, Gaurishankar temple and some malls, sources told NDTV.

Here are the other updates in the Delhi suicide blast as of Wednesday:

• The terror module, likely linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, had been planning the attack for months, the sources said. The group had been preparing 200 powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target high-profile areas in Delhi, Gurugram and Faridabad.
• Besides the i20 car used in the Delhi blast, the suspected suicide bomber and his key associate had procured two more cars from Delhi, NDTV has learnt.
• Nabi is believed to be the suicide bomber who died in the blast on November 10. Three other doctors -Shaheen Saeed, Muzammil Shakeel Ganale, and Adeel Rather - who worked at the Al-Falah University in Faridabad, were also detained but are likely to be released.
• Apart from ammonium nitrate, high-grade explosives were also used in the Red Fort blast, an official from the Forensic Science Laboratory said. Over 40 samples, including two cartridges, a live ammunition, and explosives, were collected from the site.
• A cross-injury pattern was observed on the bodies of some of the victims, according to experts from the forensic department of Maulana Azad Medical College. It means that people collided with walls or the ground due to the impact of the blast, resulting in broken bones and head injuries. Some of the blast victims showed signs of damage in the lungs, ears, and abdomen, indicating that the blast occurred at a very close range.
• The police are now studying the databanks of all arrested and detained individuals. Their Aadhaar and driving licenses are being carefully examined, while the cops are also scanning their call logs, WhatsApp, Telegram, and travel history.
• The terrorists had earlier planned to strike at a crowded place during Diwali, but it could not be carried out, sources have quoted Muzammil, who was arrested with 2,900 kg of explosives used in bomb-making.
• Saeed was later found that she was tasked with setting up the women's brigade of Jaish-e-Mohammad.
• Saeed held liberal views and wasn't particularly religious, her former husband Dr Hayat Zafar has said. She also wanted the family, which includes two children, to settle in Australia or Europe before the couple separated in 2012, he added. 
• The management of Al Falah University said it was anguished by the "unfortunate developments" and condemns them. A statement issued by Prof (Dr) Bhupinder Kaur Anand, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the institution has only a professional link with these doctors.
• The Lal Quila Metro Station will remain closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

What Happened On Monday

The blast occurred on a Hyundai i20 car in slow-moving traffic during the evening rush hours near the Red Fort Metro Station, CCTV footage showed this morning. At least nine people were killed, and nearly two dozen were injured in the high-intensity blast.