NIA uncovers chilling plan: Delhi terror module tried weaponising drones for mass carnage

According to the National Investigation Agency, the group wasn’t just plotting a blast- they were quietly trying to build a full-blown arsenal, NDTV reported.

Modified drones, jury-rigged rockets, and weapon systems designed to mimic the kind of tactics Hamas used during the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, reports said.

The breakthrough came after the arrest of the second alleged conspirator, Jasir Bilal Wani, known as “Danish”, a resident of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was picked up in Srinagar, a day after the first suspect, Amir Rashid Ali, was caught in Delhi. Both men, investigators say, worked closely with the suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi.

Danish wasn’t just an accomplice. He was allegedly the tech mind of the operation: the guy who knew how to turn ordinary drones into deadly machines.

NDTV, citing sources, said he experimented with fitting drones with oversized batteries to carry heavier explosive loads, as well as cameras for precision strikes.

He had experience building small weaponised drones, and the module wanted to scale up.

If their plan had worked, a bomb-laden drone would have floated into a packed public space, detonating without warning.

Thankfully, the plot collapsed before it reached that stage.

But the case has rattled agencies. With terror groups worldwide embracing drone warfare — from Hamas to militias in Syria — even nations with strong security infrastructures find themselves racing to keep up.

India, officials say, has been rapidly expanding its anti-drone capabilities, and this investigation shows exactly why, according to reports.

The Delhi explosion, which killed 13 people and injured nearly two dozen, occurred when Umar Mohammad, a doctor allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, drove a Hyundai i20 into the crowded Chandni Chowk area.