Jaish-e-Mohammed

Jaish-e-Mohammed
R-41 · Public domain · source
Name	Jaish-e-Mohammed
Native name	جيش محمد
Foundation	2000
Founder	Masood Azhar
Ideology	Deobandi Jihadism
Headquarters	Bahawalpur
Area operated	Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan
Status	Designated as a terrorist organization by multiple states and the United Nations

Jaish-e-Mohammed. It is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist militant group, primarily active in the Kashmir conflict and designated as a terrorist organization by numerous countries and the United Nations Security Council. Founded in early 2000 by former Harkat-ul-Mujahideen leader Masood Azhar following his release from Indian custody, the group seeks the annexation of Indian-administered Kashmir to Pakistan and has conducted numerous high-profile attacks against Indian targets. Its operations and ideology are closely aligned with other regional militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Afghan Taliban, and it maintains alleged ties to elements within the Pakistani security establishment.

History and formation

The group emerged in January 2000 in the city of Bahawalpur, founded by the charismatic cleric Masood Azhar shortly after his release from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages from the Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking. Azhar had previously been a prominent figure in Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, and his new organization quickly attracted veterans from that group and other factions fighting in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The formation was publicly announced at a large rally at Karachi's Binori Town Mosque, a major Deobandi seminary, signaling its religious underpinnings and intent to escalate the insurgency in the Kashmir Valley. Initial support and infrastructure were reportedly facilitated by sympathetic elements within Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and existing networks of madrasas in Punjab.

Ideology and objectives

The group's core ideology is a radical interpretation of Deobandi Islam, advocating for violent jihad to liberate Muslims from perceived oppression, with its primary focus being the Kashmir conflict. Its stated objective is the forcible integration of the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir into Pakistan, which it views as an unfinished agenda of the Partition of India. The group's rhetoric is explicitly anti-India, anti-United States, and anti-Israel, often framing its struggle within a broader global jihadist narrative. This worldview aligns it closely with the objectives of the Afghan Taliban and international groups like al-Qaeda, with whom it has shared ideological and operational linkages.

Organizational structure and leadership

The organization is led by its emir, Masood Azhar, who issues religious edicts and strategic directives from his reported base in Bahawalpur. Operational command is believed to be decentralized, with separate wings for military operations, recruitment, finance, and media. The group runs a network of madrasas and mosques, particularly in southern Punjab, which serve as recruitment and indoctrination centers. Key leadership has included figures like Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Azhar's brother, who handled operational planning. The structure has faced disruptions due to arrests and killings of senior commanders by Indian forces in Kashmir and actions by Pakistani authorities following international pressure.

Major attacks and activities

The group has been responsible for several audacious and deadly attacks primarily on Indian soil. Its most significant operations include the 2001 Indian Parliament attack in New Delhi, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, and the 2016 Pathankot attack on an Indian Air Force base. Other major attacks include the 2019 Pulwama attack, a suicide bombing on a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force in Kashmir that killed 40 personnel and led to heightened military tensions, including the 2019 Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force. The group has also been implicated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks planning, according to investigations by the United States Department of Justice.

Designation as a terrorist organization

Jaish-e-Mohammed is formally designated as a terrorist entity by a multitude of national and international bodies. The United Nations Security Council added it to its sanctions list in 2001 following the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. Key nations that have designated it include the United States (State Department), the United Kingdom (Home Office), India, Australia (Australian National Security), and the European Union. Despite these designations and periodic crackdowns by the Government of Pakistan, including bans and asset freezes, the group has been able to persist and re-emerge under different names such as Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.

Financing and external linkages

The group's financing is derived from a variety of sources, including donations from private individuals and businesses within Pakistan and the broader Persian Gulf region, often collected through its affiliated religious and charitable fronts. Investigations by the Financial Action Task Force have highlighted its use of hawala networks for moving funds. Externally, the group has maintained historically close ties with al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, with its fighters participating in conflicts in Afghanistan. Its most significant alleged linkage is with sections of Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence, which has been accused of providing strategic support, a charge consistently denied by the Government of Pakistan.

Category:Militant organizations in Pakistan Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by the United Nations Category:Kashmir conflict