Delhi blast accused’s video reveals mindset behind suicide bombing

A video of Dr Umar Mohammad, accused in the Delhi Red Fort car blast, reveals his “martyrdom operation” mindset. Authorities say the footage was meant to brainwash others, reflecting meticulous planning ahead of the attack that killed 13 people.

New Delhi: Days after the Delhi blast, a self-recorded video of the i20 car driver, Dr Umar Mohammad, has surfaced, in which he attempts to justify his malicious plan, and refers to it as “martyrdom operation”.

In a heavily accented video, Umar attempts to give his terror plan a religious connection.

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He is heard saying, “One of the very misunderstood concepts is the concept of suicide bombing; it is a martyrdom operation; as it has been known in Islam… There are multiple contradictions and arguments that have been brought against it — martyrdom operation.”

He further went on to explain that “martyrdom operation” is “when a person presumes that he is going, for sure, to die at a particular place and time.”

His video has revealed the suicide-bombing mindset, indicating that he had planned extensively on a large-scale terror operation.

According to the sources, officials believe that Umar, one of the main accused in the “white collar” terror module, made this video to brainwash individuals.

The car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on November 10 claimed the lives of at least 13 people and injured several others. The car was being driven by Dr Umar, a doctor associated with Faridabad’s Al Falah University.

Dr Umar was originally from the Koil village in Pulwama. His family members have described him as a reserved and introverted individual who preferred solitude and devoted much of his time to reading.

However, police reports indicate that Umar’s behaviour had shifted in recent months. He had been absent from his university responsibilities since October 30 and began making frequent trips between Faridabad and Delhi, visiting mosques close to the Ramleela Maidan and Sunehri Masjid.

The authorities reported that he went missing on November 9, following police raids in Faridabad that resulted in the seizure of almost 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate from a storage facility and the subsequent arrests of several of his associates.

During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Umar and Dr Muzammil, who was apprehended after the police dismantled the terror network, had travelled to Turkey, where it is believed their handlers are based.