Powerful Primary Explosive Found In Car Used In Delhi Blast, Nowgam Link Under Probe: Sources

New Delhi: A police official searches for evidence in the aftermath of a car blast near Red Fort (Photo: PTI)

Days after 13 people were killed in the car blast near the Red Fort in Delhi on November 10, sources have said that triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile primary explosive, was mixed with ammonium nitrate in the material recovered from the Faridabad module.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has also found the presence of TATP in the i20 car linked to the case.

TATP, or triacetone triperoxide, is a powerful primary explosive that is often mixed with other chemicals to make improvised explosives.

It is highly sensitive to heat, friction and shock, and unlike most commercial or military explosives, it contains no nitrogenous functional groups, making it difficult to detect through traditional methods.

Agencies now suggest the the i20 car may have exploded unplanned because of the presence of TATP.

Investigators also suspect that TATP traces may have contributed to the blast at the Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir, where all the recovered material was stored.

TATP was used in some attacks around the world in the past, which include the 2005 London suicide bombings, the 2015 Paris attacks, and the 2016 Brussels suicide bombings.

It was also known that the Delhi bomber, Umar Nabi, was spotted at the Wazirpur Industrial Area while he was driving across the national capital. All his touchpoints were being sanitised as a precautionary measure now.

9 KILLED AT BLAST AT NOWGAM POLICE STATION

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have clarified that the explosion at the Nowgam Police Station was an accidental blast.

Investigators are probing the behaviour of the ammonium nitrate, which had reached a volatile stage and detonated on its own before samples could be collected.

The explosion took place while the ammonium nitrate was being handled.

Officials said it was being managed with utmost care, but due to its unstable state, it detonated.

A report with IANS pointed to preliminary investigations that indicate that the ammonium nitrate had been pushed beyond its stability threshold, making it capable of releasing massive energy even without a detonator.

Officials noted that the batch was at a stage where it was ready to be packed into an improvised explosive device (IED).

The ammonium nitrate had been seized after raids on the Faridabad module of Jaish-e-Mohammed, which had converted it into a high-grade explosive by adding sensitising agents and fuel.

This indicates that the plot hatched by the module was at a much advanced stage. Had the module not been busted, officials believe the chemical could have self-detonated even if stored elsewhere for longer.

Another official said the profile of the chemical showed it was meant for a large IED, including the possibility of a vehicle-borne explosive.

Earlier assessments suggested the module was preparing attacks for December 6 or January 26, but the highly volatile nature of the seized material suggests they may have planned to act much earlier.

Investigators say the operatives could have used the ammonium nitrate in a vehicle or stored it in crowded locations such as parking lots, markets or metro corridors.

In such a scenario, the chemical could have self-detonated, generating massive pressure and a large fireball, causing far more casualties than typical ammonium nitrate explosions.

The Faridabad module came under scrutiny after the Nowgam Police cracked down on Jaish-e-Mohammed posters put up across the region.

Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather was seen putting up these posters in October, warning of attacks on security forces and outsiders in Kashmir.

His arrest on October 27 led the police to crack the Faridabad module, which had carried out the Delhi Red Fort blast, and also led to the seizure of the unstable ammonium nitrate that later caused the accidental explosion at Nowgam, killing nine people.