India has narrowly averted a catastrophic terror attack, the likes of which could have been the deadliest in global history. Security forces uncovered a sophisticated plot involving 32 vehicles rigged with an astonishing 3,200 kilograms of explosives. This “white-collar” terror module, if successful, would have unleashed unimaginable devastation, potentially claiming thousands of lives and traumatizing the nation.
The chilling details emerging from the intelligence operation reveal a meticulously planned operation. Thirty-two vehicles were intended to be used as mobile bombs, each packed with approximately 100 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. The sheer volume of explosives, totaling 3,200 kilograms, was enough to devastate entire city blocks.
To grasp the scale of this averted disaster, consider that a single bomb blast can cause widespread destruction. The coordinated detonation of 32 such devices simultaneously across India would have resulted in widespread carnage. Experts estimate that a 3,200-kilogram ammonium nitrate bomb is equivalent to 2.5 tons of TNT, capable of obliterating everything within a 50-meter radius, causing mass casualties, and collapsing buildings hundreds of meters away.
Historical comparisons underscore the magnitude of this threat. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which used 1,800 kilograms of explosives, killed 168 people. The 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, utilizing around 1,500 kilograms, resulted in 257 deaths. This foiled plot, with its significantly larger explosive cache, could have dwarfed these tragedies, potentially leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries in a single coordinated event.
Despite the significant breakthrough in thwarting the attack, critical questions linger. Approximately 300 kilograms of explosives remain unaccounted for, and only three of the 32 planned vehicle bombs have been traced. The whereabouts of the remaining 29 vehicles are crucial for dismantling the full extent of this terror network. The vigilance of India’s security forces remains paramount as the threat, though exposed, is not entirely neutralized.
