The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has officially arrested five additional suspects who are allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed. This major law enforcement action marks a direct continuation of the agency's ongoing crackdown on active JeM modules operating within the state. To ensure a thorough sweep, these latest arrests were carried out across multiple districts. This included targeted operations in specific areas of the Patan district, such as Khadiyal village located within the Siddhpur taluka.

Authorities have formally identified the five arrested individuals as Bilal Abid Shera, Mohammed Aiyub Kadiwal alias Mohammed Khadiyasan, Mohammed Shafi Mukhi alias Shafi Chapi, Mohammed Hasan Karadiya alias Hasan Haidarpuri, and Mohammed Aiyub Sunasara alias Mohammed Khali. According to official statements released by the ATS, these individuals are active members of JeM. They were actively working in close coordination with previously arrested operatives to advance their agenda.

This development comes exactly two weeks after the ATS successfully busted an initial module on July 3, during which they arrested eight individuals from both Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. That earlier round of arrests included Ahmed Abdullah Gajiwala, Ibrahim Mohammad Husen Ghagha, Mudassir Abdullah Ghaziwala, and several others. Many of these initial suspects were found to be associated with specific madrasas located across the Banaskantha, Patan, and Navsari districts, while one individual was apprehended from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.

The investigation has uncovered that the suspects reportedly made an organisation named “Darul Islam Gujarat Jaish-e-Mohammed” to recruit locals, spread extremist ideology, and maintain contact with Pakistani handlers identified as Abdullah and Mohammad Umar. Furthermore, investigators have established that the arrested individuals, including the ones caught previously, were involved in testing explosive devices as part of larger conspiracy activities.

As per reports, the intricate Gujarat ATS investigation so far has revealed funding trails from abroad and suspicious vehicle procurements. During the related raids, law enforcement officers recovered significant digital evidence. This cache included jihadi literature translated into Gujarati, recorded speeches delivered by JeM founder Masood Azhar, and heavily encrypted files containing explicit recruitment material.

ATS DIG Sunil Joshi and other senior officials directly briefed the media regarding these developments. They emphasised that the extensive probe is actively underway to determine further links and prevent any planned terror activities in the state. Consequently, all the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). They have since been remanded to ATS custody for further interrogation.

Sharing specific details regarding the evidence seized during the initial phase of the operation, DIG Joshi provided clear insight into what the teams discovered. “During questioning and searches conducted at the accused persons’ residences, Jaish-e-Mohammed flags, books authored by Maulana Masood Azhar, and letters written by the accused to Masood Azhar were recovered.They also recovered Rs 1.03 lakh which was part of funds received for terror financing”, Joshi informed about the former arrests.

These fresh arrests have immediately heightened security alertness across the entirety of Gujarat, particularly ahead of major public events like the upcoming Rath Yatra. In light of these events, authorities have officially urged high vigilance and appealed to the general public to report any suspicious activity information immediately.