JeM Wanted To Activate Sleeper Cells In India, Gujarat ATS Busts 13-Member Module | Exclusive
JeM Wanted To Activate Sleeper Cells In India, Gujarat ATS Busts 13-Member Module | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 18, 2026, 15:10 IST The
JeM Wanted To Activate Sleeper Cells In India, Gujarat ATS Busts 13-Member Module | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 18, 2026, 15:10 IST The 13 operatives allegedly held covert meetings, tested IEDs and targeted vulnerable madrassa students through closed-door recruitment sessions. Rapid Read Images of the five people arrested in connection with JeM’s terror module. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad has busted an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed-inspired module accused of building technical expertise in explosives, conducting trial blasts and establishing recruitment and logistical networks across the state. Thirteen suspected operatives have been arrested in the operation, which investigators believe has disrupted a wider conspiracy to activate sleeper cells and support JeM activities across India, sources told CNN-News18. The arrests, made shortly before the Rath Yatra, have also underlined the urgency with which security agencies were tracking the module and its operational preparations. Eight Arrested In Initial Gujarat ATS Operation The operation began on July 3, 2026, when the Gujarat ATS intercepted and arrested eight primary suspects allegedly attempting to establish a covert terror network in the state. Gujarat ATS arrested eight alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed members. pic.twitter.com/ZOjKEZJYvH— Gujarat Police (@GujaratPolice) July 3, 2026 Their custodial interrogation subsequently led investigators to an extended network of alleged co-conspirators.
Five more suspects were arrested later in the month from several districts, including Ahmedabad, Patan and Banaskantha. Digital forensic analysis of mobile phones, pen drives and other storage devices seized during the operation helped investigators trace the alleged module’s links to wider terror structures. Module Focused On Explosives And IED Mechanisms According to investigation details accessed by CNN-News18, the module was focused primarily on acquiring technical and destructive capabilities rather than carrying out large-scale public radicalisation campaigns. Investigators found that members allegedly held secret meetings between 2023 and February 2026 to study explosive designs, triggering techniques and timer mechanisms. The suspects are also accused of carrying out at least eight trial explosions in remote and isolated parts of Gujarat to test improvised explosive devices and their detonation systems. Instead of attempting to smuggle military-grade weapons across tightly monitored borders, the alleged operatives sourced chemical components and raw materials used in improvised explosives from e-commerce platforms and local markets. Investigators believe the purchases were deliberately mixed with ordinary consumer transactions to avoid early detection by law enforcement agencies. JeM Propaganda Recovered From Pen Drive The ideological material used by the module was allegedly circulated through digital files and printed manuals.
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