Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Jul 3: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested eight alleged operatives of the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for allegedly attempting to establish an active network in Gujarat to further the outfit's activities.
According to ATS officials, the arrests were made during coordinated operations in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh after an investigation led to the registration of a case at the ATS Police Station on July 2.
The case has been registered under Sections 13, 17, 18, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, along with Sections 148 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Officials alleged that all eight accused were members of the proscribed organisation and were actively working to create an operational network in Gujarat to advance the objectives of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ahmed Abdullah Gajiwala alias Abu Ubaida (19), Ibrahim Mohammad Husen Ghagha alias Abu Hamza (30) and Mudassir Abdullah Ghaziwala alias Abu Aya (22), all residents of Bhagal in Palanpur, Banaskantha district.
The other accused are Zakariya Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha alias Ibn Ammar alias Zakariya Palanpuri (21), Mufti Faujan Ismail Dauwa alias Mufti Sahab (40) and Mohammad Amin Shera alias Amin Palanpuri (21), all associated with Jamia Abul Hasan Madrasa at Khadiyasana in Siddhpur, Patan district.
Also arrested were Mohammad Abdul Rahman Savdi alias Mohammad Palanpuri alias Abu Unisa (22), linked to Jamia Rahmaniya Khambhiya in Ambheta village of Navsari district, and Bilal Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha alias Abu Dujana, Abu Sufiyan, Abu Zundal and Umar bin Khattab (18), a resident of Warsi Nagar in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh.
The ATS said further investigation is underway to determine the extent of the alleged network, its activities and any possible links with other operatives.
The latest action follows a series of counter-terror operations conducted by the Gujarat ATS in recent years.
In January this year, the ATS, along with Navsari Police, arrested a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh in Navsari, alleging that he was in possession of jihadi literature, a country-made pistol and ammunition, and had been in contact with an individual linked to extremist propaganda.
Investigators had alleged that digital material recovered from the accused contained content supporting banned organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammed. The case was registered under provisions of the UAPA, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
Earlier, in November last year, the Gujarat ATS arrested three suspects from Adalaj in Gandhinagar district over their alleged links with the terrorist organisation ISIS.
According to officials, weapons were recovered during that operation, and investigators alleged that the accused had been planning attacks in different parts of the country.
The Gujarat ATS said the investigation into the latest case is continuing, and additional details are expected to emerge as the probe progresses.