Masood Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has announced the formation of the group’s first female wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, outlining a detailed plan for recruiting, training, and deploying women in jihad missions. According to an audio message from his Bahawalpur headquarters, the women will undergo an induction course named Daura-e-Taskiya, which parallels the 15-day male training program Daura-e-Tarbiat.
Azhar highlighted that women who join the wing will be trained in Islamic texts instructing women to conduct jihad. The women’s brigade is intended to operate alongside male Mujahids and advance the group’s global jihadist agenda. Azhar promised that women completing the course will go straight to paradise.
Jamaat-ul-Mominaat branches are planned for every district in Pakistan, each led by a district-level commander responsible for recruitment. Azhar emphasized strict communication rules, banning women from speaking to unrelated men except close family.
The women’s wing will be led by Azhar’s sister Sadiya Azhar, with other family members involved in leadership and recruitment efforts. The course is supplemented by online sessions and motivational campaigns, targeting women whose male relatives have died in encounters with Indian forces.
The formation comes as JeM rebuilds its network following Indian military airstrikes on terror bases earlier this year. This strategy marks a significant escalation with JeM now mobilizing female cadres possibly for suicide missions. The group is collecting donations from enrollees and issuing public calls for financial support to sustain its operations.
The new women’s wing signals JeM’s intent to expand its terror activities amid a shifting militant landscape in the region.
