An unseen video reportedly recorded shortly before the 10 November Red Fort car bombing has become a crucial piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation. The clip that has come to the fore features the attacker, Dr Umar Mohammad, also known as Umar-un-Nabi, describing suicide bombing as a “misunderstood concept” and framing it as a “martyrdom operation” in Islam. The recording surfaced a week after the explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort, which left 12 people dead.
In the video, Umar speaks calmly and articulately in English, claiming that “martyrdom operations” are part of Islamic tradition. He argues that critics misunderstand the idea and insists such acts involve someone accepting that they may die at a particular place and time. He goes on to say that no person can truly know when death will occur, adding, “Don’t fear death.”
“One of the very misunderstood concepts is the concept of what has been labelled as suicide bombing. It is a martyrdom operation… known in Islam. Now, there are multiple contradictions; there are multiple arguments that have been brought against it," said Umar.
While suicide is strictly prohibited in Islam, Umar appears to justify suicide bombing as a form of religious duty. The video suggests a high level of ideological indoctrination, revealing a young doctor who had spent significant time engaging with extremist literature and rationalising violence.
The footage also strengthens the assessment that the Red Fort blast was a meticulously planned attack, dispelling earlier speculation that the explosion might have happened accidentally while transporting explosives.
The newly surfaced video also contains partial remarks from Umar acknowledging religious counter-arguments, though he asserts that such acts fall under justified resistance. His fragmented statements suggest the clip may have been recorded moments before he drove the explosive-laden car towards its target.
Investigators say the video, combined with CCTV tracking his movements, has helped establish a more accurate timeline of the attack. Visuals have also emerged showing Umar recording a second video shortly after the explosives recovery at Al-Falah University in Faridabad.
Officials believe the conspiracy points to the involvement of terror organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, which are increasingly recruiting educated professionals. Earlier this month, after a large cache of explosives was recovered from Faridabad, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said they had dismantled an inter-state and transnational module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Police investigations have uncovered what they describe as a “white-collar” terror network consisting of radicalised professionals and students operating under the guidance of foreign handlers. These groups allegedly used encrypted apps for indoctrination, communication, fundraising and logistics, often masking their activities through academic and charitable fronts.
