Gujarat ATS arrests JeM module

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested five more individuals linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from Patan district, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 13. The five accused, identified as Bilal Abid Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, Mohammad Palanpuri, Shafia Rais Mukhti, and Mohammad Hasan Kardia, were arrested from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka. They were produced before a judicial magistrate and remanded in ATS custody until July 24. The ATS investigation revealed that one of the accused had allegedly attempted to make a time bomb, and bomb-making material and JeM literature in Urdu are yet to be recovered. The accused had also allegedly attempted to test a crude time bomb, but the experiment was unsuccessful. The ATS is investigating the procurement and concealment of materials intended for terror activities. Earlier, on July 3, the ATS had arrested eight alleged JeM operatives from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for allegedly trying to set up an active terror network in Gujarat. The eight were identified as Ahmed Abdullah Gajiwala, Mudassir Abdullah Ghaziwala, Ibrahim Mohammad Husen Ghagha, Zakariya Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha, Mufti Faujan Ismail Dauwa, Mohammad Amin, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Savdi, and Bilal Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha. They were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The ATS DIG Sunil Jose stated that the accused had received Rs 3 lakh from JeM and were instructed to purchase a four-wheeler and secure a hideout. They had also translated radical material by Masood Azhar into Gujarati to spread JeM's ideology. The investigation revealed financial links to Pakistan-based handlers.