In January, an audio clip allegedly featuring Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar threatening India with suicide bombers was circulated by the ISI. While the voice’s authenticity remains unverified, JeM is known to be building a female-heavy suicide bomber unit. Interestingly, the outfit has recruited women bombers from Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, avoiding Pakistani nationals.
The recruitment strategy aims to utilize women from abroad due to their perceived ideological fervor and physical strength compared to Pakistani women. This move also serves Pakistan’s deniability agenda, allowing it to distance itself from terror activities while maintaining a hardline stance. However, historical attempts at deniability have proven ineffective in reality.
These foreign women recruits are being trained to target soft spots like movie theaters and hotels across India. Once trained, they are instructed to return to their home countries, await orders, and then execute attacks upon entering India. The ISI emphasizes radicalization and training for Pakistani women recruits, keeping them away from field operations.
Apart from JeM, the ISI is bolstering the female network of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, focusing on recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir. The rationale behind promoting women in terror groups lies in their perceived commitment and ideological steadfastness. The ISI’s future strategy is expected to prioritize the recruitment of more women and white-collar terrorists.
