In a significant and worrying shift in its operational strategy, Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the formation of its first women’s wing, named Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. The move was revealed through a letter issued in the name of JeM chief and UN-designated terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar, according to reports from the group’s propaganda outlet, Al-Qalam Media.

Recruitment for the new unit reportedly began on October 8 at JeM’s Markaz Usman-o-Ali base in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The wing is said to be headed by Sadiya Azhar, the sister of Masood Azhar and the widow of Yusuf Azhar — a senior JeM figure killed by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor earlier this year.

Sources cited by WION suggest that the group is targeting the wives of JeM commanders and economically vulnerable women, particularly those enrolled in religious institutions and madrassas in key cities like Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

This marks a dramatic policy shift for JeM, a Deobandi-rooted terror group that has traditionally barred women from participating in armed jihad or combat roles. However, following heavy losses in Operation Sindoor — during which Indian forces struck JeM’s central base in Bahawalpur — the group appears to be recalibrating its strategies. In a video released after the operation, JeM commander Ilyas Kashmiri claimed several members of Masood Azhar’s family were killed in the attack.

According to intelligence inputs, the decision to form the women’s wing was jointly approved by Masood Azhar and his brother Talha al-Saif, as part of JeM’s broader efforts to rebuild its operational infrastructure, much of which has been devastated by recent Indian military operations.

While terror groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, and LTTE have long employed women in combat and suicide missions, South Asian outfits such as JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) had largely avoided such tactics—until now.

Post-Operation Sindoor, several Pakistan-based terror groups have reportedly relocated their bases to the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region. With their infrastructure weakened and under pressure, these groups are also said to be seeking public donations to fund their revival.