A deadly car explosion in Delhi, which India said on Tuesday was being investigated by the national anti-terrorism force, is a reminder of the country's complex and persistent security threats.
Ranging from homegrown extremists and radical separatists to foreign-backed insurgents, here is an overview of major security threats India has faced in recent years.
2025: Kashmir
The blast on Monday that killed at least eight people in the heart of Delhi was the first major security incident since April 22, when a shooting attack killed 26 mainly Hindu civilians at the tourist town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
New Delhi blamed the assault on Islamabad, accusing gunmen from a shadowy splinter group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Pakistan denied involvement.
In May, India launched a missile barrage to target "terrorist camps" inside Pakistan, prompting retaliatory fire.
More than 70 people were killed during four days of missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire.
The Himalayan territory of Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947.
The deadliest attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir in recent years was the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, which killed 40 security personnel.
Militants have long fought Indian rule, demanding either independence or union with Pakistan.
India separately has also faced violence from Sikh separatists advocating for an independent state in Punjab.
2011: Delhi
The last major attack in the Indian capital before Monday was in September 2011, when a bomb hidden in a briefcase ripped through a crowd outside the High Court, killing at least 14 people.
Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility.
In 2005, bombs ripped through three Delhi markets, killing 62 people. Authorities blamed Pakistan-based LeT.
The city also endured serial bombings in 2008 that left at least 26 dead.
2010: Maoists
India has been battling Maoist insurgents, who are also known as Naxalites, since 1967.
At their peak in the mid-2000s, the rebels controlled nearly a third of the country and fielded an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fighters.
One of their deadliest attacks was in April 2010, when Maoist guerrillas ambushed security forces in Chhattisgarh state, killing at least 76 people.
New Delhi has recently launched an all-out offensive to crush the decades-long rebellion, vowing to accomplish that goal by March 2026.
The Maoists claim to fight for the rights of India's poorest and most marginalised communities.
2008: Mumbai
Ten Islamist gunmen carried multi-day attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai in November 2008, killing 166 people.
New Delhi blamed the LeT group and Pakistani intelligence officials.
Mumbai has also seen other major bombings, including in a string of attacks in 1993 that killed 257 people. – AFP/RSS
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