On the 17th (local time), Indian security personnel escort Amir Rashid Ali, a suspect in the New Delhi vehicle explosion attack who was arrested the previous day, to Patiala House Court in New Delhi. His face is covered with a black cloth. AFP Yonhap News

In connection with the vehicle explosion attack in New Delhi, India, investigators have classified the incident as a suicide bombing and arrested one surviving suspect linked to an al-Qaeda-affiliated armed group. Another suspect who was in the vehicle at the time of the blast died at the scene.

According to AFP, the National Investigation Agency, the federal counterterrorism body handling the blast investigation, said on the 16th (local time) that it arrested suspect Amir Rashid Ali. Ali is accused of conspiring in the attack with another suspect, Mohammad Umar, who died at the scene.

On the same day, investigators designated the explosion as “a suicide bombing”. Earlier, on the 12th, the Indian cabinet had labeled the incident as “an act of terror committed by anti-state forces”, and the latest announcement clarified the method in more detail.

Police currently believe that Ali, Umar, and other suspects are connected to al-Qaeda-linked armed groups based in Pakistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammed. Both men are from Kashmir, a region disputed between India and Pakistan.

Hours before the vehicle explosion, police raided the group operating out of a rental house in Faridabad, Haryana state, and seized about 360㎏ of ammonium nitrate; investigators are examining whether this is linked to the blast.

On the 10th, near the Red Fort, a prominent historic site in New Delhi, India, a vehicle exploded, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens. It was the first bombing in New Delhi in 14 years, since 2011.