UN Report Links Jaish-e-Mohammed to Red Fort Terror Attack, Contradicts ‘Defunct’ Narrative

A United Nations sanctions monitoring report has linked Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to last year’s deadly attack near Delhi’s Red Fort, while recording contrasting claims by Member States over whether the group remains operational.

The findings are part of the 37th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted under Resolution 2734 (2024) to the Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee overseeing sanctions against ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated entities.

According to the report, one Member State informed the monitoring team that JeM had claimed responsibility for a series of attacks and was connected to the November 9 assault near the Red Fort in New Delhi that killed 15 people. Another Member State, however, described the outfit as “defunct.” The countries were not named.

The Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of Indian sovereignty, is regarded as a high-value and politically sensitive target. The case is under investigation by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The attack followed a nearly three-week probe by Jammu and Kashmir Police into what officials termed a “white-collar terror module” allegedly linked to JeM and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). Nine persons, including three doctors accused of facilitating the network, were arrested.

Investigators recovered a one-minute-and-twenty-second video from the phone of Umar-un-Nabi, identified as the car-borne attacker killed in the blast. In the clip, he is allegedly seen speaking about carrying out a suicide attack, reinforcing suspicions of an organised terror conspiracy rather than a lone-wolf strike.

The UN team also flagged organisational developments within JeM. On October 8, JeM chief Masood Azhar — a UN-designated terrorist subject to travel bans and asset freezes — announced the formation of a women-only wing, Jamaat ul-Muminat. Though not separately listed under UN sanctions, the report said the unit was intended to support terrorist activities.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that banned organisations such as JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are no longer functional following proscription under domestic anti-terror laws.

Founded in 2000, JeM is designated by the UN as an Al-Qaida-associated entity and has been blamed for multiple attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

The report also referred to the April 2025 Pahalgam attack carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), described as a proxy of LeT, which left 26 civilians dead and heightened tensions. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor in May, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, triggering a brief four-day military escalation. (Agencies)