Jaish-e-Mohammed: Inside Pakistan’s Deadly Deobandi Jihadist Network Targeting India
Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group, drives terror in India through suicide attacks, digital recruitment, and ISI-backed networks.
Key Points
- Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), founded in 2000 by Masood Azhar, is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group targeting India.
- Designated a UN and global terrorist organization, JeM has carried out major attacks including Parliament (2001) and Pulwama (2019).
- The group maintains deep links with Pakistan’s ISI, Taliban, and Al-Qaeda networks.
- Despite formal bans, JeM continues to operate openly in Pakistan, adapting via digital funding and recruitment.
- India’s Operation Sindoor (2025) destroyed JeM’s Bahawalpur base, but the group remains a potent cross-border threat.
Founding and Origins
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), meaning Army of Muhammad, was founded on January 31, 2000, in Karachi, Pakistan, by Maulana Masood Azhar, a radical cleric and veteran of the Afghan jihad.
Azhar’s release from Indian prison in December 1999, following the IC-814 hijacking, marked a turning point in South Asian militancy.
With alleged backing from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Azhar split from Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) to establish JeM, setting up its headquarters in Bahawalpur, Punjab, under the guise of a madrassa complex named Markaz Subhanallah.
The group filled the void left by declining HuM influence and became a central pillar in Pakistan’s proxy war strategy in Kashmir, emerging as a rival to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Ideology and Objectives
Rooted in Deobandi jihadism, Jaish-e-Mohammed considers the “liberation” of Jammu & Kashmir from India a religious obligation.
Its long-term goal is to annex Kashmir to Pakistan and extend jihad beyond regional boundaries toward global Islamic rule.
Masood Azhar’s fiery sermons urge total devotion: “Marry for jihad, give birth for jihad, and earn money only for jihad.”
The group aligns ideologically with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, targeting not only Indian forces but also Shias, Christians, and Western interests. JeM has declared war on the United States and supports insurgents in Afghanistan and beyond.
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Leadership and Structure
Masood Azhar remains JeM’s emir, though his exact whereabouts are uncertain. Reports suggest he is ill and possibly hiding in Gilgit-Baltistan, under ISI protection.
His brother, Abdul Rauf Azhar (Asghar), acted as deputy emir until his reported death or injury in India’s Operation Sindoor airstrikes in May 2025.
Other senior figures include Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, who admitted heavy losses in a September 2025 video message.
JeM operates as a family-run enterprise, with a women’s wing (Jamat-ul-Muminat) led by Azhar’s sister, engaging in radicalization and recruitment — including educated individuals like Dr. Shaheen Shahid.
The group’s strength is estimated at hundreds of core fighters and thousands of supporters, drawn from Pakistan, Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Arab veterans.
Tactics and Notable Attacks
Jaish-e-Mohammed employs suicide bombings (fidayeen) and vehicle-borne IEDs, targeting high-value Indian installations and civilians.
Major attacks include:
- 2001: Suicide bombing at the J&K Legislative Assembly (38 killed) and Indian Parliament attack with LeT (9 killed).
- 2002: Role in the Daniel Pearl kidnapping and murder.
- 2016: Pathankot Airbase attack (7 killed) and Uri Army Camp assault (19 killed).
- 2019: Pulwama suicide bombing, killing 40 CRPF personnel, triggering the Balakot airstrikes.
- 2025: Pahalgam attack (26 killed) led to India’s Operation Sindoor missile strikes; November 11 Red Fort car bombing in Delhi (13 killed) linked to JeM’s “white-collar” module of radicalized doctors.
Funding and Operations
Despite multiple global sanctions, Jaish-e-Mohammed continues to raise funds through:
- Charities and front organizations, such as the banned Al-Akhtar Trust.
- Digital fundraising via apps like EasyPaisa and SadaPay.
- Donations and foreign funding, estimated at PKR 3.91 billion (~$14 million) in 2025, used to rebuild training and religious facilities.
JeM runs training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and in 2025, Indian agencies reported new infiltration routes through Nepal.
Despite Pakistan’s 2002 ban, JeM continues to operate openly, often under renamed entities and protected by ISI.
Recent Developments (2025)
- May 2025: India’s Operation Sindoor destroyed JeM’s Bahawalpur headquarters; Azhar claimed 10 relatives were killed.
- July 2025: Intelligence indicated JeM using Nepal as a transit route for cross-border infiltration.
- September 2025: JeM commander admitted camp losses and accused Pakistan’s army chief of betrayal.
- November 2025: Delhi Red Fort bombing linked to JeM’s “white-collar” terror cell of medical professionals — retaliation for the Sindoor strikes.
Global Designations and Sanctions
Since 2001, Jaish-e-Mohammed has been listed as a UN-designated terrorist organization, with sanctions by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, Russia, and India.
Although Pakistan officially banned the group in 2002, enforcement remains inconsistent — with JeM leaders frequently resurfacing in public under new organizational names.
Conclusion
Even after 25 years of global scrutiny, Jaish-e-Mohammed remains a resilient and adaptive threat to regional stability.
Its fusion of religious extremism, cross-border terrorism, and digital-age recruitment continues to endanger South Asia’s fragile peace.
While India’s targeted counterterror operations like Operation Sindoor have crippled its infrastructure, JeM’s ideological networks in Pakistan persist — a reminder that terrorist sanctuaries left unchecked can regenerate swiftly.