NEW DELHI, India: An explosion in a car near Delhi's historic Red Fort on November 10 killed nine people and injured at least 20 others, police said.

The blast, which occurred near one of the gates of the Red Fort (Lal Qila) metro station, set 22 nearby vehicles ablaze and tore apart the victims' bodies, according to fire officials. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The car, a white Hyundai i20 hatchback, drove around the area before slowing down at a traffic signal and exploding at around 7 pm (IST).

New Delhi's international airport, metro stations, and government buildings were placed on a high security alert after the explosion, the government said. A countrywide red alert was also sounded.

Witness Om Prakash Gupta, who lives near the site, said he heard a loud bang and ran outside with his children. "Several vehicles were on fire, and there were body parts everywhere," he told The Associated Press. Another witness, a cab driver named Shahrukh, said, "I came out of the car and started running along with others on the road."

The Red Fort, a former Mughal palace and major tourist attraction in Old Delhi, was surrounded by police and emergency services soon after the explosion. Local media footage showed charred vehicles and a cordoned-off area.

The blast came just a day after several arrests linked to a suspected terror network. A doctor from Gujarat was caught with firearms and materials to make ricin, while another from Jammu and Kashmir was detained in Haryana with 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, and two assault rifles. A third man from J&K was arrested in Uttar Pradesh for putting up posters praising Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based militant group.

Investigators believe the Red Fort explosion may be connected to this "white-collar" terror module. Sources said the car belonged to Dr. Umar Mohammad from south Kashmir's Pulwama, who allegedly triggered the blast after learning that two of his associates, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel and Dr. Adil Rather, had been arrested.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims' families.

Speaking from Thimphu, Bhutan, Modi vowed to take action against the perpetrators. "Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The plotters will not be spared — everyone responsible will be brought to justice."

In April, Modi cut short a visit to Saudi Arabia and returned home after an attack in Jammu and Kashmir killed 26 Hindu tourists. New Delhi accused Islamist militants backed by Pakistan — an allegation Islamabad denied.

The violence triggered the worst military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades before a ceasefire halted fighting after four days.