The recent explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort has once again stirred memories of the city’s scarred past. From medieval invasions to modern-day terror attacks, Delhi has faced repeated assaults that have tested its resilience and patience time and time again. The Red Fort, an icon of Indian heritage, has been hit in the middle of such pangs in the past, and the latest explosion was a dark memory of how vulnerable the capital has become.
September 2011
Fifteen people were killed after a briefcase bomb exploded outside the Delhi High Court. It took place on Wednesday, 7 September 2011, at 10:14 local time outside Gate No. 5 of the Delhi High Court, where a suspected briefcase bomb was planted. The Pakistan-based armed group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility.
September 2008
The Indian capital was rocked by two sets of bombings. First, on September 13, five bombs ripped through crowded markets as people shopped for major festivals. The bombs killed 33 people. A group called the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility. Two weeks later, two more bombs exploded, killing three people.
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October 2005
On 29 October 2005, a series of bombings occurred in Delhi, India, killing almost 70 people and injuring at least 210 others, particularly in three explosions. The bombings came only two days before the important festival of Diwali that year. The bombs were triggered in two markets in central and south Delhi and in a bus south of the city. The Pakistani Islamist terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attacks under the pseudonym of Islamic Inquilab Mahaz.
December 2001
Fighters from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed armed group attacked the Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001. A terrorist attack was carried out with nuclear arms in the Parliament of India in New Delhi, India, on 13 December 2001. The attack was carried out by five Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, resulting in the deaths of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, and a gardener. All five terrorists were killed by security forces. Indian authorities accused two terrorist groups operating from Pakistan- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
ALSO READ | Red Fort blast: Visitors entry halted at Red Fort for 3 days to facilitate investigation
December 2000
The Red Fort has been a symbolic target for the last 25 years. Two soldiers and a civilian were killed in an attack at the Red Fort by Lashkar-e-Taiba fighters in December 2000.
As probe agencies piece together the events surrounding the Red Fort explosion, the incident underscores a sobering truth that Delhi’s historical and political significance has long made it a target. Yet, through centuries of invasions and terror, the city has rebuilt, resisted, and stood tall as a testament to India’s unyielding patriotic spirit.
