Gujarat ATS Arrests 8 Jaish-e-Mohammed Operatives Ahead of Jagannath Rath Yatra, Court Grants 14-Day Custody (Watch)
In a major counter-terrorism operation ahead of the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested eight suspected operatives linked to the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
In a major counter-terrorism operation ahead of the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested eight suspected operatives linked to the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). A local court in Mahesana, Gujarat, has remanded the eight accused to 14 days of police custody. The suspects were apprehended during coordinated raids across various districts in Gujarat and neighboring Madhya Pradesh.
According to counter-terrorism officials, the group was working under instructions from handlers to establish a functional terrorist network within Gujarat. The agency stated that the individuals were actively organizing to facilitate future terror activities and radicalize local youth through digital mediums. Gujarat: ATS Arrests 8 Alleged JeM Operatives, Says Terror Network Expansion Bid Foiled (See Pics).
During the investigation, the ATS recovered digital materials and files containing extremist propaganda linked to proscribed terror outfits, including JeM. Investigators are currently scanning the electronic devices of the accused to trace their financial trails and identify any potential local handlers or sleeper cells. This security crackdown comes just weeks before the high-profile Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra scheduled for July 16 in Ahmedabad, an event that draws hundreds of thousands of devotees and prompts heightened state-wide security protocols. Mumbai Terror Plot Foiled: Maharashtra ATS Reveals Sensational Details After Engineering Student’s Arrest Over JeM, ISIS Links.
Terror Suspects Sent to 14-Day Police Remand in Gujarat
The Gujarat ATS has intensified its surveillance over suspicious online and offline modules in recent months. Earlier this year, the agency dismantled a separate radical module plotting anti-national activities and arrested individuals found with illegal firearms and extremist literature. The 14-day police remand will allow investigators to conduct custodial interrogations to fully uncover the scale, funding sources, and specific targets of the network.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2026 06:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).