US offers help, calls Delhi Red Fort explosion a 'terror attack', praises India’s handling of probe

US top diplomat Marco Rubio on Wednesday (Nov 12) called this week's explosion close to Delhi's Red Fort 'clearly' a 'terrorist attack', while also giving credit to local officials for how they've managed the probe up to now. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara, Canada, Rubio said, "It clearly was a terrorist attack. It was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed a lot of people."

What did Rubio say?

While responding to questions from the press about the blast in Delhi on Monday, Rubio said, "The Indians need to be commended. They've been very measured, cautious and very professional on how they're carrying out this investigation. That investigation continues." He added, "I think they are doing a very good job of carrying out an investigation, and I think when they'll have facts, they'll release those facts."

Rubio made clear he'd talked to Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar regarding the attack. He also revealed that America has offered to help India, while noting India was "very capable" and could handle the probe just fine by itself. "We are aware of the potential it has, and we spoke a little about it today- the potential it has to become something broader. We are going to await to see what the investigation reveals. We have offered to help but I think they are very capable on these investigations. They don't need our help and they are doing a good job", he said.

Red Fort blast

The explosion in Delhi on Monday night, close to the famous Red Fort, is now being called a terrorist act by India’s authorities. Initial investigation results point toward a link to a "white-collar terror network" connections with groups based in Pakistan - specifically Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH). Authorities have additionally found signs of a quiet kind of militant setup, made up of white-collar workers like physicians and religious figures. Police say joint raids from Oct 19 to Nov 10 turned up close to 3,000 kilos of bomb materials - alongside several detentions tied to the group.