How was Jaish’s Bahawalpur module in Gujarat brainwashing Gen-Z youth?

Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has busted a big sleeper cell of Pakistan-backed terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). So far 13 terrorists have been arrested from different districts of the state. There have been shocking revelations in this case registered under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and Indian Justice Code (BNS) on July 2, 2026. The wires of this module are directly connected to Jaish’s headquarters Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Pakistan and its leader Masood Azhar. How Jaish is targeting Gen-Z and Madrasa students, how the Gujarat module was working and what clues the ATS has found so far. Let us know the answers to 5 important questions

1. How is Jaish brainwashing the youth?

Today’s terrorism is not infiltrating from across the border, but through smartphones. Forensic examination of electronic gadgets has revealed that Pakistani handlers were in contact with local youth through the internet.

• brainwashing method

The arrested accused Mohammad Amin Shera was the main ‘radicalizer’ of this module. He used to send inflammatory speeches, videos and jihadi literature of Masood Azhar to other members.

• digital literature

43 e-books (PDF download) related to Jihad and pages of a very dangerous book ‘How a lone Mujahid should do Jihad’ have been recovered from the accused. Students studying in madrassas were being prepared for terrorist activities by instigating them in the name of religion.

2. Why is Gujarat the target and which areas were the target?

In fact, Jaish bases located in Bahawalpur were heavily damaged in Operation Sindoor conducted by Indian agencies. After this, Jaish changed its strategy and chose Gujarat. The reason is that Gujarat is the economic backbone of the country and its coastal and border areas have always been sensitive. Spreading unrest here means challenging the economy of the entire country.

This network was mainly establishing its roots in areas like Khadiasan Madrasa (where some people were very active), Nandasan (from where terrorists were arrested) and Vadodara.

3. How many people from Gen-Z is the target to include?

Jaish’s entire focus is now on Gen-Z i.e. youth between 18 to 25 years. Gujarat Out of the 13 accused, 10 were in the age group of 18 to 24 years. According to agency sources, Jaish wants to raise an entire army of lone wolf terrorists within India in the next few years. Books like Akela Mujahid are part of this strategy, where youth are trained to carry out IED or knife attacks alone, without a large team. The accused were learning how to make bombs and IEDs since the year 2023. He also set a timer and conducted bomb blast tests at 8 different places in 3 years, the material for which was purchased online and from the local market.

4. Apart from Gujarat, which other states are on the radar?

This module was flourishing in Gujarat, but its threads are connected to Jammu and Kashmir. Out of the first 8 terrorists arrested, there were 2 people who had gone to Jammu and Kashmir and taken training in using AK-47. Apart from this, these terrorists were also trained to make carbon monoxide (poisonous gas), which could be used for attacks in big cities or closed places (malls/cinemas). It is clear from this that their network was spread from Kashmir to Gujarat.

5. What clues did ATS get and how is this operation going on?

Different teams (cyber experts and ground intelligence) of Gujarat ATS have cracked this entire module. During the search, Jaish-e-Mohammed flag, material for making IED, evidence of correspondence (letter) written in the name of Masood Azhar and Rs 1.30 lakh in cash have been recovered.

8 terrorists were caught in the initial phase. After interrogation and digital evidence, 5 more were arrested recently. Heavy arrangements of police and commandos were made during the appearance in Kadi court. The court has sent the 5 recently arrested terrorists on remand for 8 days, while the 5 previously arrested terrorists have been sent on additional remand for 7 days.

Also read: This is just the beginning… PM will meet the team of Vikram-1, message after launching