Gujarat ATS nets 13 alleged JeM suspects
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested 13 individuals, including two teenagers, as part of ongoing anti-terrorism efforts. The investigation started on July 2, when the ATS filed a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Intelligence reports claim the group was trying to set up a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) network in Gujarat, recruit local youth and allegedly plan bomb attacks in the State. No weapons have been recovered from the suspects at this stage.
On July 3, the ATS raided locations in Banaskantha, Patan, and Navsari districts in Gujarat, as well as Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, and arrested eight people, including two teenagers. These eight arrests, officials claim, led to new leads. Between July 15 and 17, the ATS arrested five more suspects from north Gujarat, mainly in Patan and Banaskantha, bringing the total to 13.
Officials allege the suspects were active JeM members who helped build a support network, arranged logistics and shelter, recruited others, and spread extremist ideas. Several of the suspects had ties to a madrasa in Patan, where they had stayed since 2023.
Deputy Inspector General of ATS, Sunil Joshi, said that teams worked with police in Gujarat and Rajasthan to identify additional suspects using witness statements and electronic data. The five most recent suspects are now in police custody for further questioning. The investigation is still looking into possible targets, funding, and others who may be involved.
The group, officials allege, received about Rs 3 lakh to buy a used car and rent a hideout. Investigators claim they found over 250 pieces of jihadi literature, including Gujarati translations of works by JeM founder Masood Azhar and letters to him. They also claim to have found materials such as a JeM flag, Akela Mujahid Jihad Kaise Kare and digital files of Masood Azhar’s speeches, which included instructions on bomb-making.
Officials claim, from 2023 to February 2026, the group learned how to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), timer mechanisms and ways to set them off. They further allege the group tested at least eight homemade explosives in remote areas near their villages, trying out different pipe sizes, pressure levels, detonators, and casings.
Police claim to have found bomb-making manuals and PDFs about explosives on the phones of suspects. They also found messages with a suspected JeM handler in Pakistan through encrypted apps, suggesting outside links.
