How JeM's radical women brigade, led by Masood Azhar's sister, is using covert tactics to dodge FATF scrutiny

JeM founder and UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar

Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) first women's wing "Jamaat al-Mu’minaat" (Women’s Brigade) is being led by Sadiya Azhar, the sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar, CNN-News18 has reported.

Sources told CNN-News18 that other female relatives of senior commanders, including Afreera Farooq, wife of another high-ranking operative, will lead the brigade.

According to intelligence sources, the group has launched an online program titled Tufat al-Muminat, offering daily 40-minute sessions on religious teachings and ideological indoctrination.

The programme is designed to attract educated Muslim women, particularly from regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and southern India, by framing the initiative as a moral and spiritual duty.

Participants are reportedly encouraged to take on roles in logistics, intelligence gathering, financial operations and in extreme cases, as expendable operatives.

Jamaat al-Mu’minaat is part of a broader shift in JeM's recruitment strategy with an increasing focus on a digitally driven, family-rooted model.

The approach mirrors tactics previously employed by groups like ISIS's al-Khansaa Brigade and Hamas, aiming to broaden the group's base and operational reach, the report said.

The programme's nominal "500 PKR donation" per participant is suspected to serve as a secret fundraising mechanism to dodge international financial scrutiny, especially at a time when Pakistan is facing the risk of falling back into the FATF grey list.

Women-led front

The establishment of Jamaat al-Mu’minaat is seen as an attempt by JeM to adapt to modern warfare by leveraging digital platforms and social media for recruitment and propaganda.

By involving women, the group aims to expand its influence within communities and utilise female operatives in roles that are less likely to attract suspicion, the report said.

Security experts quoted by CNN-News18 said that the move could complicate counter-terrorism efforts since it diversifies the group's operational methods and recruitment channels.

Indian intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the activities of Jamaat al-Mu’minaat, especially its online presence and connections to madrasa networks, the report said.

Masood Azhar, a Pakistan-based terrorist, founded Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2000 following his release from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages during the 1999 Indian Airlines flight IC-814 hijacking.

Azhar's JeM has been responsible for numerous high-profile terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault.

The group is designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and several countries, including India, US and Australia.