A car exploded outside the metro station near the Red Fort monument in Delhi, India, killing at least eight people and injuring twenty others.
Authorities said that major railway stations across India, the financial capital Mumbai, and the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh — which borders Delhi — have been placed on high alert.
The vehicle was moving slowly when it detonated. Although the cause of the explosion remains unknown, police are examining the possibility of a suicide bombing and have arrested four individuals so far, including the registered owner of the car.
The Red Fort is a former imperial palace and a major tourist attraction in India.
Prior to the explosion, police discovered 360 kilograms of ammonium nitrate — a chemical commonly used in explosives — along with a rifle and a handgun in the city of Faridabad, located on the outskirts of the Indian capital. The discovery was made shortly before the blast.
Meanwhile, The Times of India reports that police have linked the attack to a group based in Pakistan.
Delhi has been the target of several bombings during the 1980s and 1990s, with public spaces such as bus stations and crowded markets struck by attacks attributed to Islamist militants or separatist groups.
Sources: Guardian, Associated Press, Times of India
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