INDIA said on Wednesday it was treating the car blast in Delhi that killed eight people and injured at least 20 as a "terror incident". The government said it would ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice as soon as possible.
Three sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters police were examining whether the explosion was linked to the arrest of seven men from the Kashmir region who had been detained with arms and bomb-making material. The blast took place on Monday evening outside the Red Fort and was the first such incident in the city since 2011.
Authorities are investigating the case under a stringent anti-terror law and said all angles were being examined.
In a resolution adopted late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet said: "The country has witnessed a heinous terror incident, perpetrated by anti-national forces, through a car explosion." It added: "The Cabinet directs that the investigation into the incident be pursued with the utmost urgency and professionalism so that the perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay."
Hours before the Delhi blast, police in the Jammu and Kashmir federal territory said they had arrested seven men, including two doctors, in a separate anti-terror probe and searches carried out in Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Police seized two pistols, two assault rifles and 2,900 kg of bomb-making material, a Kashmir police statement said.
"The investigation has revealed a white-collar terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers, operating from Pakistan and other countries," the statement said. It added that the men were linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Pakistan's foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
India accuses Pakistan of backing Islamist militants in Kashmir, a claim Pakistan denies. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in an anti-India insurgency since 1989. In April, 26 men were killed in an attack on Hindu tourists in Kashmir which New Delhi blamed on what it called Islamist "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied. The crisis led to a military conflict before both sides agreed to a ceasefire after four days.
Police are also looking at a possible link between the Delhi car driver and the seven men arrested, the three sources said. One source said investigators were checking if the driver was a doctor and a colleague of one of those detained.
Delhi Police and the National Investigation Agency did not respond to requests for comment. After the blast, Kashmir police conducted raids at hundreds of locations and detained about 500 people, a police source said. Most were released after questioning.
Separately, the United States offered assistance in the investigation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said India was conducting a "very professional" probe. "We've offered to help, but I think they're very capable in these investigations. They don't need our help, and they're doing a good job," he told reporters in Canada after a G7 foreign ministers' meeting.
(With inputs from agencies)
