Ahmedabad/Patan: Ahead of the historic Bhagwan Jagannath Rath Yatra, Gujarat security agencies have taken major action against a terror network, detaining five more suspects linked to the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from the Siddhpur area of Patan district. All suspects have been brought to the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) headquarters in Ahmedabad for questioning.
According to available information, this action was taken based on intelligence gathered from eight suspects arrested earlier and an intensive investigation into the entire matter is underway.
It is noteworthy that security agencies in Gujarat are already on high alert due to the upcoming Bhagwan Jagannath Rath Yatra. Acting on specific intelligence inputs received amidst this heightened security, the Gujarat ATS conducted an extensive search operation in Siddhpur on July 13. Teams raided several locations, including the Jhampolipol area, to investigate suspicious activities. The probe was initiated after receiving information about a suspect purchasing small batteries typically used in toys. During that phase, suspects were detained from Siddhpur (three), Palanpur (three) and Chikhli (one).
5 Terror Suspects Held Before Rath Yatra
Gujarat ATS arrested five terror suspects ahead of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra. Probe on into possible terror links.
Hindu religious processions in India continue to remain under the shadow of jihadist terrorism, which is a matter of… pic.twitter.com/Vy0jDr127q
— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) July 14, 2026
Subsequently, the Gujarat ATS detained five additional suspects from Siddhpur, Patan district, for questioning today (July 14). As part of the operation, ATS teams searched the home of suspect Mohammad Amin Shera in Chatavada village (Siddhpur taluka) and questioned his family members. Investigators also visited commercial areas, including Jhampolipol, to question traders and verify leads regarding the alleged purchase of suspicious items linked to Shera.
The ATS searched shops and other premises located in the commercial areas of Siddhpur. Inquiries were conducted at several locations, including ‘Noorani Tailors’. Additionally, the home of a suspect in Chatavada village was searched, and his family members were questioned. All the suspects are now being interrogated in Ahmedabad.
Prior to this action, eight suspects allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed had been detained during a joint operation conducted across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. According to the Gujarat ATS, these suspects were apprehended during coordinated operations in the Banaskantha, Mehsana, Navsari, and Patan districts of Gujarat, as well as the Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh.
Investigation into Alleged Links with Pakistan
According to investigators, preliminary questioning has revealed that some suspects allegedly had contact with Pakistan-based handlers. The ATS is investigating the entire network based on technical surveillance, digital evidence, and other intelligence inputs. Investigative agencies claim that some suspects were attempting to translate extremist literature linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed into Gujarati and disseminate it locally. Efforts to recruit new members into the organization are also being investigated.
Security agencies believe that this operation could prove crucial in uncovering the activities of a potential terror network. Currently, the Gujarat ATS, local police and other central agencies are working in coordination on the matter.
It is worth noting that the Gujarat ATS’s actions over the past year rank among the most aggressive counter-terrorism operations. Between July 2025 and July 2026, the ATS arrested over 20 suspected terrorists and radical elements, busting several major terror modules in the interest of state and national security. On July 3, 2026, the ATS conducted simultaneous raids in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, arresting eight suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who were allegedly in contact with a Pakistani handler and were planning to establish sleeper cells in Gujarat, radicalize youth, and expand the terror network.
Earlier, on January 25, 2026, a suspect named Faizan Shaikh was arrested in Navsari with illegal weapons; he was accused of being influenced by the ideologies of Al-Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammed. In April 2026, two other suspects were arrested on charges of allegedly propagating “Ghazwa-e-Hind” via social media and conspiring to target Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office-bearers.
November 2025 was a particularly significant month for the Gujarat ATS, as three terrorists linked to an ISIS/ISKP module, including a doctor from Hyderabad, were arrested near the Adalaj toll plaza in Gandhinagar. According to investigative agencies, they were preparing for a major terror attack by procuring sophisticated Glock pistols and manufacturing a lethal chemical toxin known as ‘ricin’ from castor oil.
During the same period, the ATS arrested three suspects linked to another ISIS-affiliated module on charges of supplying weapons and conspiring to commit acts of terror. In July 2025, a joint operation across Gujarat, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh led to the arrest of four members of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), who were accused of recruiting youth and propagating radical ideology.
Meanwhile, in May 2025, a cyber-terrorism module was busted with the arrest of two individuals involved in cyber-attacks on government websites during ‘Operation Sindoor’. These sustained operations demonstrated that the Gujarat ATS has successfully thwarted numerous potential terror plots by adopting an aggressive strategy against not only traditional terrorism, but also cyber-terrorism, online radicalization, sleeper cell networks, and modules linked to international terrorist organizations.
