Ahmedabad: Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Friday said that eight alleged operatives of the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), arrested earlier this week, were working to establish an active network in Gujarat and were planning terror attacks in the state as well as other parts of the country.According to ATS officials, the accused were acting on behalf of the Pakistan-based terror organisation and were engaged in recruiting members, spreading extremist ideology and building a support structure to facilitate future terror activities.The arrested accused were identified as Ahmed Gajiwala alias Abu Ubaida (19), Ibrahim Ghagha (30), Mudassir Ghaziwala (22), Zakariya Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha (21), Mufti Faujan Dauwa (40), Mohammad Amin Palanpuri (21), Mohammad Abdul Savdi (22) and Bilal Durani Ghagha (18).According to ATS, the accused were residents of Banaskantha, Patan, Navsari and Madhya Pradesh. Three of them were allegedly associated with religious seminaries in Siddhpur and Chikhli, while another is from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.ATS officials alleged that the module was in the process of strengthening its operational network and was preparing to facilitate terrorist activities in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country. The agency said it is probing the group’s alleged links with the Pakistan-based organisation, its recruitment activities and the extent of its network.Following the arrests, the ATS registered an FIR under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with sections of the BNS pertaining to waging war against the govt of India and criminal conspiracy.Officials said further investigation was under way to ascertain the group’s contacts, funding sources, recruitment efforts and whether the alleged module was linked to a wider terror conspiracy.
