A significant internal development within the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed has triggered serious security concerns. The group has reportedly recruited more than 5,000 women into its newly formed women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominat, raising fears among intelligence agencies that the organisation aims to radicalise them for future operations.
Jaish chief Masood Azhar recently claimed on social media that the number of women joining this wing is rising rapidly. He even suggested that district-level units would soon be necessary to manage the swift expansion. In his message, Azhar stated that many of the recruits underwent a sudden shift in mindset, believing they had discovered their “goal of life.” He boasted that recruitment had taken place at a remarkable pace and that every district would soon have its own muntazima (manager). According to him, “In just a few weeks, more than 5,000 women have joined.”
Indian security agencies believe the recruitment drive for Jamaat-ul-Mominat began on October 8 at Jaish’s headquarters, Markaz Usman-o-Ali. Women from Bahawalpur, Multan, Sialkot, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli were allegedly inducted during this campaign. Plans are reportedly underway to establish dedicated offices for the women’s wing in every district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The unit is led by Sadia, the sister of Masood Azhar. Her husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed during Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror camps in Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead. Another prominent member is Afira, the wife of Pulwama attack mastermind Umar Farooq, who was also killed in an encounter.
The newly recruited women are being trained through online classes, each lasting about 40 minutes, and every participant is required to pay Rs 500 to join the sessions.
According to officials, the primary objective behind this large-scale mobilisation is to build women-led terror units capable of carrying out fidayeen-style attacks, similar to tactics previously employed by extremist groups such as ISIS, Hamas, and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
The women’s wing drew significant attention after last month’s blast at Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 15 people. During the investigation, authorities arrested a woman named Dr Shaheen Saeed in Faridabad and recovered a substantial amount of explosives. She has reportedly been linked to Jamaat-ul-Mominat.
When the wing was first introduced, Masood Azhar announced that female recruits would undergo training akin to that received by male Jaish members. Instead of the standard 15-day Daura-e-Tarbiat course, women will participate in a specialised programme called Daura-e-Taskiya, reportedly conducted at Jaish’s headquarters. Azhar has also laid down stringent rules for the recruits, including a ban on interacting with any unrelated man, whether via phone or social media, except for their husbands or immediate family members.
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