Jaish-e-Mohammad module planned six coordinated blasts, including Ayodhya, probe reveals

Investigators probing the Red Fort explosion say the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Faridabad module had drawn up plans to carry out at least six coordinated blasts across North India, the campaign that also included a planned major attack outside the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

According to officials, Delhi was intended to be the opening strike, chosen to send a message that the group could hit the national capital despite heightened security. The remaining blasts were to be staged at multiple locations in the region to magnify panic, showcase the outfit’s reach and bolster recruitment efforts.

Telegram chats recovered from suspects laid out the group’s wider strategy: begin with several targets in North India, then expand the campaign into Maharashtra, the Northeast and eventually South India. The module reportedly aimed to combine large-scale attacks with a major recruitment drive to rebuild its footprint nationwide.

Investigators say the Faridabad unit sourced explosive materials from sites in Nuh, Haryana, and moved through phases of preparation that included selecting locations, assembling explosives and distributing them among operatives. 

Dates under discussion in chat logs included symbolic national days initially August 15, later December 6, and, as a contingency, January 26.

Officials linked one motive for targeting Ayodhya to the perennial exploitation of the site as a recruitment and propaganda tool, framed as retaliation for the Babri Masjid demolition. The planned string of blasts was also intended to avenge losses the group suffered during India’s Operation Sindoor, which had degraded its operational capacity.

Security agencies say the Faridabad module’s disruption derailed the timetable and contributed to a premature detonation in the Red Fort incident. Further inquiries indicate the Faridabad cell was only the first in a network of similar modules the group was attempting to establish across the country.

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)