Terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the creation of its first-ever women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, aimed at increasing female participation in its militant operations. 

The unit will be led by Sadiya Azhar, sister of JeM chief Masood Azhar. The official announcement came through JeM’s propaganda platform Al-Qalam Media on Telegram, supplemented by pamphlets and a video explaining the initiative.

JeM has revealed that the new women’s wing will include a dedicated Fidayeen squad. Female recruits will undergo extensive training specifically designed for suicide missions and close-quarter militant attacks. Intelligence inputs indicate that this marks a significant tactical shift for JeM, which had previously relied solely on male combatants for high-risk missions.

Sadiya Azhar assumed leadership after the death of her husband, Yusuf Azhar, who was killed in Indian Air Force strikes during Operation Sindoor on May 7. The strikes targeted JeM’s primary base, Markaz Subhan Allah, in Bahawalpur, causing heavy operational losses. JeM’s leadership appears to be leveraging personal losses to motivate and galvanise new recruits.

Recruitment for Jamaat-ul-Mominaat reportedly began on October 8 at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur. The group is primarily targeting the wives of senior JeM commanders and economically vulnerable women from its religious seminaries in Kotli, Manshera, Karachi, and Bahawalpur. Recruitment propaganda is also being disseminated actively on social media platforms to broaden the outreach.

Following substantial personnel and infrastructure losses during Operation Sindoor, JeM has accelerated its recruitment efforts and relocated much of its training infrastructure from Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The region is considered relatively safer for training operations due to its greater distance from the Indian border and reduced aerial strike risk.

Intelligence sources confirm that JeM is spreading false narratives claiming that women were killed in the Indian strike on its Bahawalpur base. This disinformation is being used to stir emotional outrage among sympathisers, thereby increasing recruitment prospects for the women’s brigade. Such narratives play into JeM’s broader strategy of radicalising female recruits using perceived grievances.

Government intelligence agencies have flagged this development as a high-priority security threat. The use of women in active terror roles is considered particularly dangerous as it complicates standard detection and counter-terrorism protocols. Female militants have historically drawn less suspicion, increasing the potential for successful infiltration and execution of attacks, especially in urban areas.

The formation of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat may represent a turning point in JeM’s operational strategy. If successfully mobilised, the wing could enable JeM to execute more concealed and adaptable terrorist attacks. Intelligence officials predict that Indian security agencies will need to recalibrate their surveillance and response mechanisms to counter female-led terror cells in the future.

Based On ET News Report