A week after the deadly explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that claimed 13 lives, an undated self-recorded video of the suspected bomber, Dr. Umar Mohammad alias Umar-un-Nabi, has emerged. The video offers the first direct insight into the radicalised mindset of the man behind the attack.
In the clip, Umar, speaking calmly and fluently in English, attempts to justify suicide bombing by calling it a “misunderstood concept”. He refers to such attacks as “martyrdom operations” and claims they are rooted in religious teachings.
“One of the very misunderstood concepts is what has been labelled as suicide bombing. It is a martyrdom operation… known in Islam,” he says. He goes on to argue that a martyrdom mission involves accepting death at a particular time and place, adding, “Don’t fear death.”
Suicide is strictly prohibited in Islam, and Umar’s statements appear to be an attempt to rationalise suicide bombing as an act of “martyrdom”. His articulate explanation reflects deep ideological indoctrination, highlighting the level of radicalisation he had undergone.
The video reinforces that the car blast near Red Fort was not accidental but carefully planned, countering earlier speculation that the explosives may have detonated inadvertently during transportation.
Investigations into the Delhi blast have exposed a growing trend of terrorist organisations recruiting highly educated individuals, including doctors and students. Earlier this month, after a major explosives recovery in Faridabad, the Jammu & Kashmir Police revealed that they had busted a transnational terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
According to officials, the module operated a “white-collar terror ecosystem” comprising radicalised professionals who coordinated with foreign handlers via encrypted platforms.
“The group used encrypted channels for indoctrination, coordination, fund movement, and logistics. Funds were raised through professional and academic networks under the guise of social or charitable causes,” the police said.
The emergence of Umar’s video underscores the alarming shift in India’s terror landscape — from rugged militants to educated, calculated extremists hidden in plain sight.
