New Delhi: In a significant and alarming development, Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the formation of its first-ever women’s wing, named Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, according to intelligence and media reports. The move reportedly marks a major shift in JeM’s operational strategy as it attempts to revive its network following crippling losses during India’s Operation Sindoor earlier this year.

JeM’s women’s wing announced in Bahawalpur

The announcement of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat was reportedly made through a letter issued in the name of JeM chief and UN-designated terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar. Recruitment for the new women’s unit is said to have begun on October 8 at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur, Pakistan — a region long considered JeM’s ideological and operational hub.

The new wing is believed to be headed by Sadiya Azhar, the sister of Masood Azhar. Her husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed on May 7 during Operation Sindoor, when Indian armed forces targeted JeM’s main base at Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, roughly 100 km inside Pakistan’s southern Punjab province.

Recruitment drive underway across Pakistan

Sources indicate that recruitment is being conducted primarily among wives and female relatives of JeM commanders, as well as economically vulnerable women studying at religious centres in Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

This marks a stark departure from JeM’s earlier doctrine, which had strictly prohibited women from taking part in combat or armed operations. Intelligence officials believe this transformation is a strategic response to heavy organisational losses, leadership disruptions, and declining male recruitment following Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead.

Strategic shift after Operation Sindoor

Security analysts suggest that JeM’s decision to form a women’s unit indicates a broader evolution in Pakistan’s terror ecosystem. “Following severe military and intelligence losses, JeM appears to be re-evaluating its structure to ensure resilience,” said a senior counter-terrorism analyst on condition of anonymity.

Intelligence sources have also revealed that Masood Azhar and his brother Talha al-Saif personally approved the inclusion of women into JeM’s operational framework. The move reportedly brings JeM closer to global jihadist models seen in groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram, both of which have employed women in suicide missions and logistics roles.

Risk of female suicide attacks and online radicalisation

The formation of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat has raised concerns that JeM may train and deploy female suicide bombers, a tactic rarely seen in South Asian terrorism but widely used in Africa and the Middle East.

Intelligence agencies in India are particularly wary of online radicalisation efforts being conducted through social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram.

Reports suggest that the group is targeting urban, educated Muslim women by using religious imagery, martyrdom narratives, and cultural propaganda designed to recruit sympathisers. The campaign reportedly aims to expand JeM’s ideological reach beyond Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of southern India.

Fundraising and rebuilding terror infrastructure

Parallel to the recruitment efforts, JeM and its allied groups — Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — are reportedly attempting to rebuild their damaged infrastructure.

According to sources, Pakistan-based operatives have launched fundraising campaigns through EasyPaisa and other digital payment platforms, targeting a collection of Rs 3.91 billion to establish 313 new markaz (training and operational centres) across Pakistan’s provinces.

The relocation of JeM’s surviving cadres to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province is seen as part of a broader strategy to evade international monitoring and drone surveillance in Punjab and Sindh.

Regional implications and security concerns

Defence experts warn that the creation of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat could complicate counter-terrorism operations across the region. “Women militants often face less scrutiny at border points or in social settings, making their use strategically advantageous for groups like JeM,” said retired Indian Army Major General G D Bakshi.

He added that India’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies would need to adapt surveillance and counter-radicalisation strategies to this new dimension of threat.

Security agencies have also stepped up monitoring of cross-border online activities, especially in regions vulnerable to radicalisation.

India’s Operation Sindoor and its aftermath

India’s Operation Sindoor, launched earlier this year, delivered a devastating blow to JeM’s infrastructure in Bahawalpur. The precision strikes reportedly eliminated multiple top commanders, destroyed logistics hubs, and disrupted the terror group’s financial network.

The operation significantly weakened JeM’s operational capacity, forcing it to reorganise and relocate. Analysts suggest that the formation of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat is a direct response to those losses, as JeM attempts to rebuild its ideological and operational strength under increasing global scrutiny.

Conclusion

The emergence of JeM’s women’s wing underscores a dangerous new phase in South Asian terrorism, highlighting how extremist organisations continue to adapt to geopolitical and security realities. Indian security agencies are expected to tighten surveillance across border regions and digital platforms to pre-empt any infiltration or recruitment attempts linked to Jamaat-ul-Mominaat.