Jaish Terror Module Busted In Gujarat

 Total 13 Held As ATS Widens Probe

Report By Y-Trendz

Ahmedabad — Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has dismantled an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module operating across the state, with the investigation expanding in recent days to bring the

total number of individuals arrested or detained for questioning in the case to 13.

The Initial Breakthrough

The operation began on July 2, when the Gujarat ATS carried out simultaneous raids across multiple districts in Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, arresting eight men allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit. Officials said the arrests followed intelligence gathered by Deputy Superintendent of Police Harsh Upadhyay, which pointed to individuals in the Banaskantha-Patan belt maintaining ties to JeM.

The eight men arrested in the initial sweep were identified as Ahmed Abdullah Gajiwala alias Abu Ubaida (19) and Ibrahim Mohammad Husen Ghagha alias Abu Hamza (30), both of Bhagal in Banaskantha's Palanpur city; Mudassir Abdullah Ghaziwala alias Abu Aya (22), also of Bhagal; Zakariya Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha alias Zakariya Palanpuri (21) and Mufti Faujan Ismail Dauwa alias Mufti Sahab (40), both associated with the Jamia Abul Hasan Madrasa in Khadiyasana, Siddhpur, Patan district; Mohammad Amin Shera alias Amin Palanpuri (21), also linked to the same madrasa; Mohammad Abdul Rahman Savdi alias Mohammad Palanpuri (22) of Jamia Rahmaniya Khambhiya in Chikhli, Navsari district; and Bilal Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha (18) of Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Seven of the accused were held in Gujarat and one in Madhya Pradesh.

A case was registered against all eight at the ATS Police Station under Sections 13, 17, 18, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, along with Sections 61 and 148 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. A court subsequently remanded the accused to 14 days of police custody.

Details of the Alleged Network

ATS DIG Sunil Joshi told reporters that the group had organised itself under the banner "Dar-ul-Islam Gujarat Jaish-e-Mohammed" and was attempting to build a trusted logistical network within the state that could support JeM operations if called upon in the future. He clarified that the investigation had not, at that stage, revealed any specific attack target.

Investigators said the accused were in direct contact with Pakistan-based handlers identified as Abdullah and Mohammad Umar, and had reportedly received approximately ₹3 lakh in funding from the organisation. Part of that money, officials allege, was intended for the purchase of a four-wheeler vehicle and for securing a rented hideout. Examination of the accused's mobile phones reportedly turned up incriminating material, including letters written in the name of JeM founder Masood Azhar pledging allegiance to the group. The men were also allegedly working to translate radical literature — including writings attributed to Masood Azhar — into Gujarati in order to spread the group's ideology more widely within the state. Investigators recovered a total of 254 pieces of extremist literature during the operation, including a flag bearing JeM's insignia. No weapons were recovered from the accused, according to officials.

Investigation Widens Ahead of Rath Yatra

With Gujarat on heightened security footing ahead of the annual Bhagwan Jagannath Rath Yatra, the ATS returned to Siddhpur taluka in Patan district on July 14, detaining five additional suspects for further questioning based on leads developed from the original eight arrests. Teams searched the residence of accused Mohammad Amin Shera in Chatavada village and questioned his family members, while also visiting commercial establishments in Siddhpur — including a tailoring shop and other trading premises — to verify reports of suspicious purchases allegedly linked to Shera.

Separately, as part of the ongoing probe, ATS officials took three of the original eight accused to Bhagal village in Banaskantha's Palanpur area to help reconstruct the sequence of events and corroborate evidence gathered so far.

Part of a Sustained Crackdown

Officials noted that the Gujarat ATS has arrested more than 20 suspected terrorists and radicalised individuals in operations conducted between July 2025 and July 2026, marking one of the agency's most aggressive periods of counter-terrorism activity. Earlier cases this year included the January arrest of a suspect in Navsari found with illegal weapons and alleged links to Al-Qaeda and JeM ideology, and the arrest of two individuals in April accused of propagating "Ghazwa-e-Hind" content on social media while allegedly plotting against RSS functionaries. In November 2025, the ATS separately apprehended three individuals, including a doctor from Hyderabad, in connection with an ISIS/ISKP-linked module near Gandhinagar's Adalaj toll plaza.

What Comes Next

The ATS, working in coordination with local police and central agencies, said the investigation into the JeM network remains ongoing, with technical surveillance and digital evidence continuing to be examined for further leads. Authorities have not ruled out additional arrests as the probe progresses, particularly given the deeper links investigators say they have identified in the Siddhpur area of Patan district.