Masood Azhar approves formation of JeM women's brigade 'Jamaat-ul-Mominaat', appoints sister as chief

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) In a major shift in strategy, Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the formation of its first-ever women’s wing, named “Jamaat-ul-Mominaat”, sources told IANS.

The decision was made public through a letter issued under the name of JeM chief and UN-designated terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar.

According to the letter, the recruitment drive for this newly created unit has commenced at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, on October 8.

Notably, during Operation Sindoor, Indian Security Forces targeted the headquarters of JeM in Bahawalpur, in southern Punjab, Pakistan.

Last month, JeM commander Ilyas Kashmiri, in a video, said that the attack in Bahawalpur killed the family members of Azhar during Operation Sindoor.

According to the latest letter circulated by JeM’s propaganda platform Al-Qalam Media, the women’s brigade of JeM will be named as ‘Jamaat-ul-Mominaat’ and its recruitment began on October 8, 2025.

According to sources, this Women Brigade of JeM will be led by Sadiya Azhar, the sister of Masood Azhar, whose husband Yusuf Azhar was killed in Operation Sindoor on May 7 when Indian forces struck JeM’s headquarters at Markaz Subhanallah.

Sources reveal that the terror outfit has now started enlisting wives of its commanders as well as economically vulnerable women studying at its centers in Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

The Deobandi-rooted outfit, which has traditionally barred women from participating in armed jihad or combat missions, appears to have revised its stance following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

Intel sources suggest that Masood Azhar and his brother Talha al-Saif have jointly approved the decision to incorporate women into JeM’s operational framework, leading to the establishment of this exclusive female brigade.

While terrorist groups such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, and LTTE have a history of deploying women as suicide attackers, outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen had largely avoided doing so, but sources now believe JeM’s latest move signals its intent to train and use female suicide bombers in future terror operations.

After Operation Sindoor, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have strategically relocated into Pakistan’s restive region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.

Notably, now Pakistan is desperately turning no stone unturned to rebuild these terror infrastructures destroyed during Operation Sindoor and is asking donations from the common people.

As reported by IANS in August, JeM has also launched an online fundraising campaign through EasyPaisa to collect Rs 3.91 billion for constructing 313 new markaz across Pakistan.

--IANS

sas/skp