Both Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have active women’s wings in Pakistan. Jaish-e-Mohammad established its women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Muminaat (JuM), after facing setbacks in Operation Sindoor. On the other hand, Lashkar-e-Tayiba has two women’s wings: Dukhtaran-e-Toiba (DeT) for combat training and Taiyabbat for social and political mobilization of women.
Initially intended to train suicide bombers for Jammu and Kashmir, reports suggest that these women’s wings have not made significant progress in combat activities. Instead, they are mainly used for propaganda and recruitment purposes. The focus seems to be on reviving the men’s wings due to losses suffered in previous operations.
While women have shown reluctance in participating in attacks, they are actively involved in recruiting and spreading radical messages on social media. The emphasis is on increasing recruitment, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, with instructions to tap into family members for joining the outfits. The agencies are closely monitoring social media activities of these women’s wings, targeting recruitment efforts in the region.
The women’s wings are being pushed to recruit extensively, aligning with plans to have a fresh set of over-ground workers and foot soldiers. The JuM concentrates on radicalization and recruitment, while the Taiyabbat uses tactics like projecting slain Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani as a hero to evoke emotions for recruitment. The ISI aims to reshape men’s wings while using women-led outfits for radicalization and recruitment efforts.
