Gujarat ATS Arrests Five More Suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed Members; Total 13 Held
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested five men on suspicion of links to the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 13. The latest arrests were announced on Friday, nearly two weeks after eight others were taken into custody on similar charges.
According to the ATS, four of the five newly arrested suspects are from Siddhpur in Patan district, while the fifth is from Banaskantha. The suspects from Siddhpur have been identified as Bilal Abid Shera (24), Mohammad Ayyub Kadiwala (22), Mohammad Ayyub Sunsara alias Mohammad Khali (20), and Mohammad Hasan Hanif Kardiya alias Hasan Haiderpuri (20). The suspect from Banaskantha is Shafi Raees Mukhi alias Shafi Chhapi (21), a resident of Vadgam.
The ATS has charged all five with attempting to carry out “test explosions” on at least eight occasions over the past three years. During the investigation, the agency recovered materials from the first group of accused that included a JeM flag, copies of books authored by JeM founder Masood Azhar, a letter addressed to Azhar, and Rs 1.30 lakh in cash, which is suspected to be funds intended for terrorist activities.
The arrests are part of a broader investigation into an alleged JeM-linked module in Gujarat. The ATS has not disclosed further details about the suspects' specific roles or the targets of the alleged test explosions. The case remains under investigation.
