The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested five more men terror accused linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), said officials on Friday, adding that they have been remanded to custody. With this, the ATS has arrested 13 people in total.
On July 3, the security agencies had arrested eight terror suspects following an operation across Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
The arrested accused were also interrogated by ATS officials after which the security agencies found that they reportedly made six to seven attempts to manufacture and detonate bombs at the local level prior to their arrest.
Who all were arrested?
The five men have been identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera, 24, a resident of Patan district's Chatavada; Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, 22, of Khadiyasan in Siddhpur taluka; Mohammad Ayubbhai Sunsara alias Mohammad Khali, 20, a student from Khali village in Siddhpur; Shafia Rais Mukhi alias Shafi Chhapi, 21, from Chhapi in Banaskantha district; and Mohammad Hasan Hanifbhai Karadiya alias Hasan Haidarpuri, 20, also from the Patan district.
They were arrested on Wednesday.
Bomb-making training
According to the ATS, interrogation revealed that some of the accused had been studying bomb-making techniques and IED detonation methods since 2023 using printed material, including a publication titled 'Akela Mujahid Jihad Kaise Kare' (How a Lone Mujahid Should Wage Jihad).
Investigators said the group tested explosive timer mechanisms and carried out detonation experiments on eight occasions between 2023 and February this year, sourcing materials used to make gunpowder from both online platforms and local markets.
The ATS also said Mohammad Amin Shera, one of the eight people arrested earlier, had delivered sermons promoting jihadist ideology and was found in possession of materials used to assemble improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Investigators alleged that Bilal Abidbhai Shera had handed Amin Shera a pen drive containing jihadi speeches, videos and literature attributed to Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, parts of which were later printed and circulated.
Following the questioning of Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, investigators alleged that he, along with Shera, Ahmed Gavwala, Zakariya Ghagha and others, held meetings inside mosques to propagate radical ideology and teach IED assembly. According to the ATS, the group organised three such gatherings.
Material recovered during the investigation includes a Jaish-e-Mohammed flag, printed copies of jihadi literature attributed to Masood Azhar, copies of letters addressed to him, and ₹1.3 lakh in cash allegedly meant for terror-related activities. The investigation is ongoing.
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