Women Wing Under Watch
Lahore
Intelligence agencies are closely watching signs that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is re-activating its long-planned women’s wing, Dukhtareen-e-Taiba (DeT), security sources said. The DeT — an all-women outfit conceptualised years ago — was originally intended to groom female suicide attackers but the plan was shelved at the time.
Recent intelligence reports indicate that LeT has revived the DeT with a revised mandate. Rather than directly carrying out attacks, the outfit is now reportedly being positioned to drive recruitment and radicalisation among women. Current assessments place the active membership at roughly 25, with plans to expand by a similar number in an initial phase, the reports add.
According to the Intelligence Bureau, recruitment activity is presently focused inside Pakistan. Recruits are being identified and radicalised, and some may be moved briefly to Pakistan for training. Local modules are also being tasked with scouting and grooming women, who may initially be used as recruiters and radicalisers. Security officials caution that, while the immediate aim is recruitment rather than operational deployment, there remains a longer-term concern that trained women could be exploited for violent acts, including suicide attacks, in the future.
The reports further allege continued Involvement by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which intelligence analysts say is re-strategising its support to non-state actors to pressure the Indian state. Indian security agencies have reportedly stepped up surveillance and counter-radicalisation efforts in response to the perceived threat.
Officials emphasise heightened vigilance and intelligence-sharing across agencies to detect recruitment networks early and to disrupt attempts to move or train individuals. Authorities say they will continue monitoring developments and coordinating preventive measures to mitigate any emerging threat.
