Terror plot foiled as 8 Jaish terrorists nabbed by Gujarat ATS

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Friday announced the arrest of eight alleged operatives belonging to the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). According to senior counter-terror officials, the individuals were actively attempting to establish an operational network across Gujarat and planning to execute coordinated terror attacks within the state and other parts of India. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the specialized agency carried out multiple raids to disrupt the module before it could finalize its logistical and tactical plans.

Investigators stated that the suspects were working under instructions from handlers based in Pakistan to systematically expand the terror outfit's domestic footprint. Their designated tasks included radicalizing local youths, recruiting new members, spreading extremist ideology, and setting up a secure support network to facilitate future cross-border terror activities. The arrested individuals have been identified as residents of Banaskantha, Patan, and Navsari districts in Gujarat, alongside one suspect hailing from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, with three found to have links to religious seminaries in Siddhpur and Chikhli.

Following the multi-city arrests, the Gujarat ATS officially registered a First Information Report (FIR) under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The suspects have also been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to criminal conspiracy and waging war against the Government of India. Security agencies are conducting extensive follow-up investigations to comprehensively map out the group's communication channels, overseas funding sources, recruitment networks, and any broader conspiracy connected to the module.