Masood Azhar Forms First-Ever JeM Women's Brigade Following Operation Sindoor Losses

JeM chief Masood Azhar.

The Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has recently announced the formation of its first-ever women's wing following significant losses during Operation Sindoor. This strategic shift aims to revitalize their influence, including their presence in India.

On Wednesday, the terror group led by Masood Azhar, which has historically excluded women from combat operations, revealed its new strategy through the creation of "Jamaat-ul-Mominaat." The recruitment process for this female brigade has already commenced at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur.

It's worth noting that during Operation Sindoor, Indian forces specifically targeted JeM's headquarters in Bahawalpur, located approximately 100 km within Pakistan's southern Punjab province.

According to intelligence sources, this new women's wing will be headed by Sadiya Azhar, sister of UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar. Sadiya's husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed when Indian forces struck JeM's headquarters at Markaz Subhanallah during Operation Sindoor.

The organization has begun recruiting wives of JeM commanders and economically disadvantaged women studying at their centers across multiple Pakistani locations, including Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

While terrorist groups such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, and LTTE have historically utilized women as suicide attackers, organizations like JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have generally refrained from this practice.

Intelligence sources suggest JeM may be planning to deploy female suicide bombers in future terrorist operations. The decision to incorporate women into the terrorist organization's operational framework was reportedly jointly approved by Masood Azhar and his brother, Talha al-Saif, leading to the establishment of this exclusive female brigade.

The "Jamaat-ul-Mominaat" is expected to extend its operations into India through online networks primarily in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of south India. Their activities will likely spread through various social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.

The female brigade appears designed to attract women under the guise of religious devotion before utilizing them for terrorist activities. A JeM circular promoting the brigade features images of Mecca and Medina, containing emotionally charged content specifically targeting educated and urban Muslim women.

JeM has been linked to several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing.

Azhar previously claimed that Operation Sindoor resulted in the deaths of ten family members and four of his associates. According to a statement attributed to Azhar, who was arrested in India in 1994 and later released following the Air India IC 814 hijacking, those killed included his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from his extended family.