New Delhi, Nov 17 — The November 10 suicide bombing at Delhi’s Red Fort is part of a broader resurgence of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Italian investigative journalist Francesca Marino told NDTV during an interview following the launch of her book From Pulwama to Payback – The Inside Story. She said the attack, which killed 13 people, used the high-explosive TATP compound—known as “Mother of Satan”—previously linked to major terror strikes in Europe.
Marino said intelligence inputs suggest the attack may have originally been planned for December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, possibly targeting a Hindu religious site. According to her, JeM is aggressively rebuilding to maintain relevance, reportedly even developing a women suicide-bomber wing tied to relatives of group chief Masood Azhar.
Revisiting JeM’s trajectory since the 2019 Pulwama attack and India’s Balakot airstrike, Marino said the Red Fort bombing reflects the group’s renewed confidence. She reiterated earlier claims from her reporting that Pakistan attempted to conceal casualties at Balakot through evidence removal and information control.
Marino also warned of increased radicalisation within Pakistan’s security establishment, arguing that such conditions enable militant networks like JeM and LeT. Her book aims to help readers understand the operational patterns behind recent terror incidents and the evolving threat to India’s security.
