Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the Pakistan-based militant group, has recently taken a significant strategic turn by establishing its first-ever women's wing, known as "Jamaat-ul-Mominaat." This new unit is reportedly under the leadership of Sadiya Azhar, who is the sister of JeM's chief, Masood Azhar. Notably, Sadiya Azhar's husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed during India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025, when Indian forces struck JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

This development marks a strategic shift for JeM, which has traditionally refrained from involving women in combat or operational roles. The recruitment drive for Jamaat-ul-Mominaat started on October 8, 2025, at the Markaz Usman-o-Ali center in Bahawalpur. The group is focusing its recruitment efforts on the wives of JeM commanders as well as women from economically vulnerable backgrounds enrolled at JeM’s various centers across Pakistan-controlled territories, including cities like Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

Experts believe this move signifies JeM's intent to expand its operational and ideological reach, including into India, where they plan to use online networks for recruitment and psychological warfare. The new women's wing is reportedly active in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of southern India. They are utilizing social media, WhatsApp groups, and madrasa networks as conduits to spread their narrative and recruit women. The group's propaganda features religious imagery of Mecca and Medina and emotionally charged content aimed at attracting educated and urban Muslim women.

The decision to incorporate women into JeM’s structure follows a heavy blow to the group during Operation Sindoor, which destroyed their headquarters and killed several members of Masood Azhar’s family. Along with Sadiya Azhar’s husband, other family members were reportedly killed in the operation, making this a deeply personal and symbolic development for JeM’s leadership.

While women have been deployed in combat roles by various terrorist organizations like ISIS, Boko Haram, and Hamas, JeM had largely avoided this tactic until now. The formation of this female brigade indicates a possible shift toward using women in more active roles including potential suicide attacks, psychological operations, and recruitment strategies.

This evolution in JeM’s tactics underscores a broader trend where militant groups enhance their reach and adaptability by utilizing women in operations previously limited to men. It also raises concerns for security agencies in India and the region who must now confront a new dimension of threat that involves female operatives engaged in both physical and psychological warfare.

Jamaat-ul-Mominaat is expected to play a critical role in JeM’s future operations, serving not only as a recruitment and propaganda tool but potentially expanding the group’s capacity for disruptive activities both within Pakistan and across the border into India. This shift reflects the resilience and adaptability of such groups in response to counter-terrorism pressures.