Security agencies have raised concern after learning that more than 5,000 women have been recruited into a new women’s wing of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. This wing, called Jamaat ul Mominaat, was launched recently, and officials believe that efforts to radicalise these women are already underway.

In a social media post, Jaish chief Masood Azhar claimed that the number of women joining the group is rising very quickly. He said that within just a few weeks, over 5,000 women had become members. According to him, many women told the group that their mindset changed as soon as they joined. Because of the fast rise in membership, Azhar said the organisation now plans to set up units in every district, each led by a woman manager.

Sources say the recruitment drive began on October 8 at Jaish’s main headquarters, called Markaz Usman-o-Ali. Women from several Pakistani cities, Bahawalpur, Multan, Sialkot, Karachi, Muzaffarabad and Kotli, have joined the new terror wing.

The women’s unit is being led by Masood Azhar’s sister, Sadia. Her husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed during India’s Operation Sindoor, a mission carried out to target terror bases in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Another key figure in Jamaat ul Mominaat is Afira, the wife of Umar Farooq, the mastermind of the Pulwama attack. Umar Farooq was killed in an encounter.

According to intelligence sources, the women being recruited are receiving online training. These classes last around 40 minutes, and every participant has to pay Rs 500 to attend. The aim of this training is to radicalise women and eventually create female terror brigades capable of carrying out suicide attacks similar to those seen in groups like ISIS, Hamas and the LTTE.

The women’s wing came under attention after the recent car blast in Delhi that killed 13 people. Investigators found that Dr. Shaheen Saeed, who was arrested after a large amount of explosives was recovered from Faridabad, had links to this Jaish women’s wing.

Masood Azhar has said that women in Jamaat ul Mominaat will receive training similar to male Jaish recruits. While male recruits go through a 15-day program called “Daura-e-Tarbiat,” women will attend an induction course called “Daura-e-Taskiya.” This training will also be conducted at the Jaish headquarters.

Azhar also laid down strict rules for the women who join. They are not allowed to talk to any unrelated men through phone or messaging apps, except for their husbands or immediate family members. Security officials fear that the growing number of recruits and the training being given could be used to plan major terror attacks in the future.