Gujarat ATS arrests 5 more in Jaish-e-Mohammed module case, probe details 8 IED trial runs, planned bomb blasts | Ahmedabad News
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested five more alleged members of a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked module, claiming the group had progressed beyond extremist propaganda and was actively preparing to carry out improvised explosive device (IED) blasts after years of planning and experimentation.The latest arrests take the investigation further into what has been described as an organised conspiracy involving recruitment, radicalisation, bomb-making training and repeated attempts to develop the capability to execute terrorist attacks.Talking to reports, ATS officials said that the five arrested are Bilal Shera (24), Mohammed Ayub Kadiwal (22), Ayub Sunsara (20), Shafria Rais Mukhi (21), and Mohammedhasan Kardiya (20).They were produced before a court, which granted the ATS eight days of police remand.Thew ATS in a statement said that Bilal is a resident of Kathwada in Ahmedabad, Kadiwal, Kardiya, Sunsara are from Patan ad Mukhi is from Vadgam Banaskantha.The arrests are part of an FIR registered by the ATS on July 2 under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following intelligence inputs that a group of men in north Gujarat had allegedly formed an active JeM-inspired network.According to ATS, the investigation has revealed that between 2023 and February 2026, members of the group repeatedly met to study the construction and functioning of IEDs and carried out at least eight trial exercises at different locations to understand explosive timer mechanisms and methods of triggering blasts.Investigators alleged that the accused procured raw materials for making explosive mixtures through online platforms and local markets and experimented with different assembly techniques.ATS claimed that the group intended to acquire the capability to execute bomb blasts and had moved systematically from ideological programming to practical training.Investigators alleged that Bilal Shera supplied a pen drive containing speeches, videos and literature attributed to JeM founder Masood Azhar to one of the previously arrested accused, Mohammad Amin Shera.The digital material was allegedly converted into printed copies for circulation among members.During interrogation, ATS claimed Kadiwal disclosed that he and other accused attended closed-door dawat sessions inside a mosque where they allegedly discussed jihad, learnt methods of assembling IEDs and studied how explosive devices could be detonated successfully.The ATS also alleged that members repeatedly photocopied and circulated extremist literature, including a publication titled Akela Mujahid Jihad Kaise Kare, and used organised religious meetings to recruit other madrassa students into the group.Investigators claimed at least three such recruitment efforts had been identified during the probe.Earlier searches in the case led to the seizure of a Jaish-e-Mohammed flag, printed literature allegedly linked to Masood Azhar, a letter attributed to him, ₹1.3 lakh suspected by investigators to be intended for terror-related activities, and materials that the ATS says could be used in the fabrication of IEDs.These allegations have not yet been tested in court.ATS officials said the fresh arrests were made after questioning several witnesses across Gujarat and Rajasthan.The agency will now examine electronic devices, recover additional evidence and investigate whether the alleged module had identified potential targets or established links with handlers outside the state. The investigation is continuing.
