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List of Major Terror Attacks in Delhi and Mumbai
Delhi and Mumbai have long set benchmarks for change and development in India. Their importance has only continued to grow over the years: Delhi, as the capital of India, holds the country’s political power, and Mumbai has emerged as its financial nerve center. Their strategic and commercial significance has also made these cities targets of some of the deadliest terror attacks in India. Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on bustling markets, busy stations, luxury hotels, and even the parliament building.
Each attack left deep scars that still shape India’s security policies and psyche. Here is a list of the major terror attacks that shook Delhi and Mumbai.
1993 Mumbai serial blasts
- Date: March 12, 1993
- Casualties: More than 250 people killed and 700 injured
A series of 12 coordinated bomb blasts rocked Mumbai, targeting key financial and commercial centers such as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Air India building. The attacks were carried out by a group that came to be known in the Indian media as the D-Company, a criminal syndicate led by Indian mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, in retaliation for the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya. The razing triggered Hindu-Muslim riots throughout India. Yakub Memon, a member of the syndicate who financed the attack, was arrested in 1994 and executed in 2015.
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2000 Red Fort attack
- Date: December 22, 2000
- Casualties:3 killed and 1 injured
Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives breached security at the Red Fort, one of India’s cultural landmarks in Delhi, and opened fire indiscriminately. The assailants managed to escape after killing three Indian Army personnel and injuring another person. In a rare admission, the LeT claimed responsibility for the attack.
2001 Indian Parliament attack
- Date: December 13, 2001
- Casualties: 9 killed and at least 15 injured
In an attack on India’s symbol of democracy, five gunmen stormed the parliament building in Delhi. Their aim was to disrupt government functioning and possibly target political leaders. All five assailants were killed in a shootout with police forces. Indian authorities accused Pakistan-based terrorist groups of orchestrating the attack. In 2002 Afzal Guru, a member of Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, was convicted of facilitating the attack and was hanged in 2013.
2003 Mumbai bombings
- Date: August 25, 2003
- Casualties: More than 50 killed and 100 injured
Two bombs planted in taxicabs exploded at the Gateway of India, one of Mumbai’s most iconic landmarks, and at Zaveri Bazaar, a major hub for India’s diamond and jewelry trade. Indian authorities attributed the attacks to Islamist groups Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), an outfit banned in India, and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Three suspects were arrested in 2003 and found guilty in 2009 by a special court, which sentenced them to death.
2005 Delhi bombings
- Date: October 29, 2005
- Casualties: More than 50 killed and 200 injured
Three explosions occurred just days before the Hindu festival of Diwali: two in bustling marketplaces—Sarojini Nagar and Paharganj—crowded with shoppers preparing for the holiday and a third in a bus in the Govindpuri area. The bombs were reportedly placed in vehicles parked near crowded areas to maximize casualties, and witnesses saw a passenger placing a bag in the bus before it exploded. Indian authorities suspected the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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2006 Mumbai train bombings
- Date: July 11, 2006
- Casualties: 189 killed and more than 800 injured
In the span of 11 minutes, seven coordinated explosions tore through crowded local trains in Mumbai. The bombs, planted in pressure cookers to maximize casualties, exploded as trains neared several stations, including Mahim, Bandra, and Matunga. Indian authorities accused Lashkar-e-Taiba of arming and training the attackers, some of whom were allegedly members of SIMI. After a trial that began in 2006, 12 men were convicted by a special court in 2015—5 were given the death sentence and 7 were sentenced to life in prison. In July 2025 the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 men, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
2008 Delhi bombings
- Date: September 13, 2008
- Casualties: At least 25 killed and more than 100 injured
Delhi was rocked by five coordinated bomb blasts within minutes at three shopping markets—Ghaffar Market in Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, and M-Block market in Greater Kailash 1. Four additional bombs were found and defused, including one near India Gate, a monument at the heart of Delhi’s administrative neighborhood. The Indian Mujahideen (an Islamist organization designated as a terrorist group by several countries, including India and the United States) claimed responsibility for the bombings.
2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks
- Date: November 26–29, 2008
- Casualties: More than 174 killed and 300 injured
Ten operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, laid siege to Mumbai for more than four days, attacking landmark locations across the city, including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Oberoi Trident hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, and a Jewish outreach center. At least 174 people were killed, including 9 of the attackers. Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker captured alive, confessed to being a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, though he later retracted the confession during trial. He was convicted of murder, waging war on India, and other charges in 2010 and executed in 2012.
2011 Mumbai bombings
- Date: July 13, 2011
- Casualties: More than 20 killed and 130 injured
Three coordinated bomb blasts hit multiple locations in Mumbai—Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House, and Kabutar Khana in Dadar—during the evening rush hour. Indian authorities suspected the Indian Mujahideen and its leader Yasin Bhatkal of masterminding the attacks.
2025 Red Fort blast
- Date: November 10, 2025
- Casualties: More than 10 killed and 20 injured
A powerful blast in a car near the Red Fort metro station killed more than 10 people, injured 20 others, and caused severe damage to surrounding infrastructure. Multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency and the Delhi Police, are investigating the explosion, which took place hours after the arrest of several people with alleged links to Jaish-e-Mohammed.