OGW 2.0: Women, zakat, madrassa — inside LeT, JeM's reset post-Operation Sindoor

Pakistan-based terrorist organisations are quietly adjusting their internal architecture. Security officials monitoring cross-border networks say Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has initiated the establishment of two new markaz facilities, including infrastructure reportedly meant to train women cadres beyond their traditional outreach roles. At the same time, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is intensifying structured fundraising tied to religious education centres in Bahawalpur.

The developments come amid heightened scrutiny of Pakistan-based terror infrastructure following Operation Sindoor, which officials say disrupted several facilitation channels and exposed communication patterns between handlers and field assets.

LeT’s Women Wing: Expanding Roles

For years, LeT’s women wing largely remained confined to ideological propagation, social mobilisation and political messaging. Recent intelligence-linked briefings, however, suggest a broadening of that mandate. Moreover, recent statements attributed to Iffat Saeed, identified by regional security sources as heading the women’s wing, indicate a transition toward operational support functions.

Notably, OsintTV, an open-source intelligence gatherer highlighted a recent speech given by Iffat Saeed, openly radicalising people and calling for war and jihad. Senior LeT figure Abdur Rauf was reportedly present during an inspection visit to Markaz Quba Al Islam in Islamabad on February 19, where expansion activity is said to include dedicated space for women cadre training.

Officials tracking these movements assess that women may increasingly be deployed in overground worker (OGW) roles — including safehouse coordination, courier networks, reconnaissance support and communication relay. Furthermore, as per a report by Resonant News, LeT's women training includes indoctrination disguised as 'empowerment' via affiliates like Pakistan Markazi Muslim League and Muslim Women's League—groups run by Hafiz Saeed's family.

Rauf, who has conducted funerals for terrorists alongside Pakistani military personnel, urges women toward jihad against India. According to credible sources in the intelligence establishment, Pakistani army and police officers provide instruction at these camps, highlighting Pakistan state's complicity.

In an exclusive interview with Times Now, Captain SB Tyagi (Retd), Chief Councilor at International Council for Security And Safety Management pointed out that women operatives often face comparatively lower suspicion in certain environments. This makes them suitable for low-visibility support tasks rather than frontline engagement.

The OGW Model: Decentralised Resilience

The overground worker framework has become central to modern terrorist ecosystems, especially to the ones based in Pakistan. Unlike typical terror training camps concentrated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, OGW network operations depend on civilian embedding — providing shelter, intelligence inputs, transport and financial handling while avoiding overt terrorist signatures.

Notably, Intelligence dossiers accessed by Times Now reveal LeT and JeM ramped up infiltration bids and LoC logistics since September 2025, aided by Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG) and ISI operatives. The LeT is known to be trained by Pakistan Army's SSG commandos.

The LeT organizes training programs for its cadres. This includes weapon handling of AK series rifles, light machine guns (LMGs), pistols, rocket launchers, and hand grenades. These programs are categorized as the Daura-e-Aam, a 21-day course, and the Daura-e-Khas, a three-month specialized training. The Ulema (clerics) associated with the terror group also undergo a 42-day training course, while recruits undergo an introductory program called Bait-ur-Rizwan.

Meanwhile, high-level meetings were held in PoK involving Jamaat-e-Islami, Hizbul Mujahideen, and ISI in October 2025 and finalized reviving cells, paying ex-commanders stipends, and rebuilding narco-terror networks to, with an aim to avenge Operation Sindoor losses. An officer familiar with regional counterterror grid said, on condition of anonymity, that “large camp models draw attention; decentralised nodes survive longer.” While Pakistan maintains it has acted against proscribed organisations, Indian security assessments continue to flag residual networks that operate through charitable fronts and religious institutions.

JeM’s Bahawalpur Pipeline

Parallel developments are visible within JeM’s recruitment ecosystem. Security briefings indicate that Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur has stepped up appeals for sponsorship of students pursuing Quranic memorisation and clerical training. Donation tiers reportedly stand at PKR 16,500 monthly or PKR 198,000 annually per student.

As per Third Eye OSINT & Analysis, the Markaz Subhanallah is an 18-acre Bahawalpur HQ with modern amenities like a swimming pool. Intelligence-linked estimates suggest around 1,400 individuals from various provinces, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, are currently enrolled. The Markaz is reportedly funded by the ISI-linked Al-Rahmat Trust, and doubles as a terror indoctrination hub. After the completion of religious coursework, select individuals from the Markaz are channelled toward advanced training pipelines based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and PoK.

Moreover, after being targeted during Operation Sindoor, the JeM, launched discreet Urdu social media campaigns in August 2025 seeking funds to rebuild this complex under Masood Azhar's brother Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, framing it as paradise-building despite UN proscription. Not only this, the Jamia Al-Sabir, is well documented in security dossiers. Founded in 2003 by Bakhsh Sabir, it is a part of JeM’s broader ideological infrastructure. JeM has consistently denied involvement in cross-border terrorism. However, Indian agencies have long maintained that Bahawalpur functions as a doctrinal and organisational hub.

Faith-Based Fundraising and Financial Channels

Security finance experts note that framing sponsorship as religious education provides both community legitimacy and predictable funding. The zakat and charity ecosystem has historically been leveraged by terrorist organisations to blend social outreach with recruitment. By formalising donation slabs, groups create sustained revenue while minimising overt terror optics.

According to Maj Gen Sanjay Soi (Retd), “Structured sponsorship is harder to challenge than direct arms funding — it sits in the grey space between faith and facilitation.” JeM's PKR 16,500 monthly/PKR 198,000 annual student sponsorships via Jamia Al-Sabir (founded 2003 by Bakhsh Sabir) blend zakat with recruitment, mirroring LeT's charity fronts tolerated by Punjab authorities despite global watchdogs like FATF pressure

JeM's PKR 16,500 monthly/PKR 198,000 annual student sponsorships via Jamia Al-Sabir (founded 2003 by Bakhsh Sabir) blend zakat with recruitment, mirroring LeT's charity fronts tolerated by Punjab authorities despite pressure from global watchdogs like the FATF.

Post-Operation Sindoor: Strategic Adjustment

Operation Sindoor is understood to have disrupted communication nodes and exposed handler networks tied to cross-border planning. Officials familiar with post-operation assessments say the result has been organisational recalibration rather than retreat.

LeT’s reported integration of women cadres and JeM’s madrassa-centric recruitment indicate efforts to reinforce depth while reducing visibility. The emphasis appears to be on resilience — ensuring manpower continuity and logistical adaptability under heightened surveillance conditions.

Broader Regional Implications

The developments highlight how terrorist ecosystems evolve under pressure. Rather than mass mobilisation or large-scale camp expansion, current indicators point to layered, decentralised growth. Recruitment through faith-based institutions and logistical embedding through OGWs suggest long-term consolidation strategies.

Security officials caution that such structural adjustments often precede periods of low-profile activity rather than immediate escalation. Whether these shifts translate into renewed operational tempo remains uncertain. Much depends on geopolitical triggers and regional security developments. For now, what appears visible is not overt expansion, but quiet restructuring. 

Source: OGW 2.0: Women, zakat, madrassa — inside LeT, JeM's reset post-Operation Sindoor