Comparing Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba: Inside Pakistan's Deadliest Terror Organizations

New Delhi:

Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, two prominent Pakistan-based terrorist organizations supported and financed by Pakistan's Army and deep state, have garnered significant attention in India over the last six months, each responsible for deadly attacks on civilians.

A Lashkar offshoot known as The Resistance Front killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April, while last week, a Jaish terror module executed a car bombing near Delhi's Red Fort, resulting in 15 fatalities.

Both groups have a history of devastating attacks, including Jaish's 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 soldiers and Lashkar's 2005 Delhi market bombings that claimed 60 lives.

Intelligence sources also indicate these groups collaborated in the 2001 Parliament attack, which killed nine people including six Delhi Police personnel, while all five terrorists were eliminated.

As investigations into the Red Fort car bombing continue, intelligence sources have provided NDTV with a comprehensive breakdown of the key differences between these terror organizations.

Operational Style

Jaish specializes in suicide missions engineered to create maximum shock value, evident in the 2019 Pulwama attack, the 2025 Delhi Red Fort bombing, and the Parliament attack.

Lashkar functions like an elite commando unit, executing coordinated strikes with military precision. This was demonstrated in the Pahalgam attack, where terrorists operated in unison following a specific plan, and in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Sleeper Cells

Jaish maintains deeply embedded cells that remain dormant for months or even years before activation. In the Red Fort bombing case, the 'terror doctors' module was established in 2023 and would have remained hidden longer if not for J&K Police detection.

Lashkar relies on teams that infiltrate India shortly before executing attacks.

Indoctrination Infrastructure

Jaish operates an ideology-based indoctrination system rooted in Deobandi extremism, centered around its madrasas in Pakistan's Bahawalpur. This intensive indoctrination is exemplified by their women's wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, established after Operation Sindoor.

Lashkar runs a more organized charity-militia network with broader scope but relatively less personalized radicalization processes.

Leadership Culture

Jaish maintains a cult-like, personality-driven structure demanding absolute loyalty to Azhar. Consequently, JeM recruits often come from already radicalized Deobandi/Salafi backgrounds.

Lashkar features a more structured hierarchy controlled by Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

Target Selection

Jaish focuses on high-profile targets with potential for maximum casualties, such as historic structures like the Red Fort and government buildings like Parliament.

Lashkar targets civilian areas and installations in high-visibility locations to maximize media impact, as seen in the multi-node 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Propaganda Style

Jaish emphasizes religious radicalization and prepares recruits for 'martyrdom.' The video released by the Delhi Red Fort bomber Dr. Umar Mohammad illustrates this approach, discussing suicide bombing as "misunderstood" and glorifying martyrdom.

Lashkar emphasizes military tactics, navigation, survival, and weapons proficiency, producing terrorists comparable to special forces operatives. The Pahalgam attackers utilized advanced radio equipment to maintain contact with the Pakistani Army and were supported by Over Ground Workers providing local logistical assistance.

ISI Control

Jaish serves as ISI's deniable, high-impact destabilization tool.

Lashkar functions as ISI's disciplined proxy regiment, used for calibrated pressure against India.

Geographic Footprint

Jaish has stronger Afghanistan-linked recruitment and ideological connections.

Lashkar maintains a larger social and charitable ecosystem active in Pakistan's Punjab province, providing greater logistical reach.

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