In October 2025, Jaish-e-Mohammed established its first women’s wing, led by Sadiya Azhar, the sister of the group’s chief Masood Azhar. Known as Jamaat-ul-Mominaat (JuM), the wing focuses on recruiting and radicalizing individuals to form a Fedayeen squad. Intelligence agencies have uncovered a new strategy concerning its operations in India.
The JuM is now targeting Indian women online, setting traps to lure them into marriage and radicalize them. These traps are particularly aimed at women residing in border areas for easy access to Pakistan. Once in Pakistan, the women are indoctrinated, with plans to send them back to India for gathering sensitive information.
This recruitment tactic, although not new for Jaish-e-Mohammed, is being executed on a larger scale, shifting focus from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan due to its extensive border with Pakistan. Vulnerable women, especially those facing social issues and loneliness, are being groomed through social media interactions for months before marriage proposals are made.
The handlers spend significant time engaging with these women, gradually manipulating them into the extremist network. Once the women agree to marriage, they are instructed to secure passports and are guided on crossing borders, primarily through Rajasthan, Nepal, or Saudi Arabia. This deceptive recruitment aims to build a vast network for JuM, with recruited women tasked to expand the group’s influence in India.
