Latest news with #Jaish
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Pakistan: Another top Jaish ultra dies a mysterious death
NEW DELHI: Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar, a top Jaish-e-Muhammed commander and a fierce proponent of the doctrine of Ghazwa-e-Hind, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan's Bahawalpur on June 2. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His burial was held at the markaz of JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur, indicating the place he held in the terror outfit. The markazi was among the hardest hit targets during . Over a dozen significant terror strikes in India, including 2019 , were planned here. The messages floated by the Jaish cadre on Telegram claimed Abdul suffered a sudden heart attack. However, there was no official word on the cause of death from Pakistan police. A resident of Ashrafwala in Pakistan's Punjab province, Abdul frequently threatened to break India into pieces and spewed venom against 'kafirs'. Just last month at a rally, he had threatened to snatch Kashmir from India. Enraged since Operation Sindoor, he was spotted on a video threatening infiltration of terrorists into India. "Mujahideen are coming, if you can handle it, then handle it, govt of Hindustan... otherwise, Mujahideen will snatch Kashmir from your jaws... Mujahideen have set out," said the rabble rouser maulana. At a recent rally, he threatened that India would meet the fate of Soviet Union and called upon Mujahideen to keep the flames of 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' burning.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
LeT, Jaish Tap Bangladesh Radical Networks, Use Campuses To Target Indian Students
Last Updated: Top intelligence sources reveal Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed have joined hands with radical groups in Bangladesh, opening a new front to radicalise Indian youth, CNN-News18 has learnt from top intelligence sources. A recent speech by Saifullah Kasuri, aka Khalid, in Kasur, Lahore, which has gone viral and is now circulating among radical groups, referenced Bengal and the division of the region on May 28. The speech is being actively used in radical circles to fuel propaganda. Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation. These India-based groups are also collaborating with Jamaat-e-Islami, creating a cross-border ideological network. LeT's exploitation of Bangladeshi universities is built on three key pillars: ideological alignment with local radicals, institutional decay, and cross-border impunity. Backed by ISI, LeT operates through multi-layered strategies combining ideological networks, institutional vulnerabilities, and cross-border operational logistics. LeT coordinates with Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir to infiltrate campuses. Shibir grants access to student networks, hostels, and Islamic study circles, which are then used for recruitment. Following the restoration of Jamaat-e-Islami's legitimacy post-2024, this access has become more streamlined. Groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both linked to LeT, operate madrasas near universities. These madrasas indoctrinate students with Wahhabi-Salafi ideologies, framing education as jihad for Islamic revival. UK-based front organisations have also funded radical madrasas that later recruit university students. Shibir members invite Indian students into Islamic study circles, blending religious discussions with LeT propaganda videos. Events at the University of Dhaka have glorified Kashmir terrorists killed as martyrs. LeT's attack footage from India is shared through encrypted apps such as Telegram and Signal, with videos from incidents like the Pahalgam attacks being circulated to incite anti-India sentiments. Radical groups offer scholarships, flood relief, and financial aid to economically vulnerable Indian students. Following the 2024 floods, Jamaat distributed aid along with radical literature. Senior student 'mentors" isolate Indian youth, presenting radicalisation as identity preservation, while enforcing conservative dress codes such as beards and veils to build group loyalty. LeT is also using Bangladesh as a transit hub. Indian students radicalised in Dhaka or Chittagong are sent to LeT camps in Pakistan via Myanmar or Nepal, often under the guise of educational tours. They portray India as oppressing Muslims, leveraging events like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and incidents of communal violence, such as the 2023 temple vandalism to validate jihadist narratives. The post-2024 interim government in Bangladesh lifted bans on Jamaat-e-Islami and allied groups, appointing radicals to key positions, including the Hizb-ut-Tahrir founder as Home Secretary. This has enabled LeT affiliates like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) to operate openly on campuses. Government concessions to Hefazat-e-Islam, such as compulsory Islamic education, allow madrasas to teach jihadist ideologies unchallenged. Universities have also adopted gender-segregated curricula, normalising extremist norms. Bangladesh's lax NGO oversight, coupled with hundi remittances and money laundering—both significant contributors to its GDP—allow LeT to mask funding as charitable donations. LeT receives funds via NGOs from the Middle East, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, under the pretext of reviving Islamic heritage and campus charities. Radicalised students returning to India are deployed as operatives. HuJI-B, JMB, and LeT proxies maintain around 40 sleeper cells in Assam and Nagaland, using Bangladesh-trained Indians to carry out attacks. LeT has also utilised Bangladeshi routes for India-bound operations. The 2025 Pahalgam attack involved a LeT operative who had met a Bangladeshi official prior to the operation. Anti-minority violence in Bangladesh — where nearly 2,200 Hindu-targeted incidents were reported in 2024 — spills over into India, intensifying Hindu-Muslim tensions and aiding in jihadist recruitment.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
One-third of kids never sees a school, but we have nukes: Ex-Pak envoy's viral clip stirs fresh outrage
'The real threat is from within' — DeltaRR2000 (@DeltaRR2000) Live Events 'We are not going to live as an insecure nation' After Pahalgam: A nation at the brink again Indus treaty suspended, water becomes a weapon 'Why does Pakistan need Lashkar, Jaish, Sipah?' (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel As Pakistan faces a deepening crisis at home, a decade-old warning from former ambassador Hussain Haqqani is hitting harder than ever. A 2013 interview featuring the ex-diplomat has resurfaced online, exposing painful truths about Pakistan's priorities. 'One-third of (Pakistan's) young population… never see the inside of any school — forget about madrasas, religious schools, any school,' Haqqani said. 'Another one-third lives below the poverty line, and yet the country has nuclear weapons.'This statement—now viral—echoes across a nation grappling with economic instability, a broken education system, and worsening India-Pakistan relations. Despite being from 2013, the interview's relevance feels sharply present in critique went deeper than statistics. He questioned the national mindset that glorifies military might at the expense of societal progress. 'The real threat to Pakistan essentially is from a failure to come to terms with its geography, with its history, and with having a direction for it as a nation,' he said during the remarks form a blistering takedown of Pakistan's state doctrine—where weapons take precedence over welfare. 'We are now like the guy who keeps buying guns to try and protect himself and then says, 'Oh gosh, I can't sleep because I'm afraid somebody will steal my guns,'' he observed, describing the country's fixation on defence at the cost of its citizens' sense of also invoked the vision of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She imagined a future where Pakistan retained its nuclear deterrence but redefined its global role. 'We will keep the nukes, but we will eventually sign up with some kind of international agreement… We are not going to live as an insecure nation,' he said, referencing Bhutto's forward-looking was not a call to disarm but to recalibrate—to pair defence strength with internal development and diplomatic resurfacing of this interview comes on the heels of a major terror attack. On 22 April, a deadly strike in Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists. The attack, attributed to Pakistan-based terror groups, has plunged the region into crisis. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military campaign targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These camps were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul followed was a series of retaliatory attempts by Pakistan to strike Indian military bases between 8 and 10 May. India responded by targeting eight Pakistani airbases on 10 May using long-range missiles and India has moved swiftly too. Following the Pahalgam attack, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty under suspension—a significant shift in a treaty that has governed water sharing between the two nations since 1960. With six rivers under its control, India now holds leverage that could strain Pakistan's already fragile agrarian has been outspoken on Pakistan's internal threats long before the recent escalation. In a post on X, he questioned the legitimacy of allowing extremist outfits to flourish while maintaining a formal army. 'A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups,' he wrote. 'With well-equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, and their Difa-e-Watan Council?'These comments were not made in isolation. They coincide with global concerns over Pakistan's nuclear safety. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently said Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be brought under international monitoring, specifically the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Even Haqqani conceded that Pakistan's nuclear programme is technically sound and well-guarded. But the central question remains—what use is strategic deterrence if it coexists with illiteracy, poverty, and social fragmentation?Pakistan's leadership, according to Haqqani, needs to look inward. Until the country resolves its core contradictions—missiles in the skies and millions of children out of school—the promise of security will ring 2013, his message was seen as provocative. In 2025, it feels prophetic.
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Why India must stay battle-ready against future attacks from Pakistan
Strategically, India is not left with many choices to ensure stability and peace in South Asia, except aiming towards a robust solution for its Pakistan problem read more After facing an embarrassing rout by the Indian armed forces in Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has focused its efforts on spreading a fabricated and false anti-India global narrative. Supported by its allies like Turkey, China, Azerbaijan and dubious Western media, Pakistan is making desperate efforts to compensate for its losses on the battlefield by spreading lies. However, as the evidence is emerging, Pakistan's lies are getting exposed. Amidst these smokescreens, it is imperative to make a realistic assessment of India's gains and losses. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Measuring India's Successes and Shortcomings Unlike in the Balakot air raids, Indian armed forces did not leave any room for raising questions about the efficacy of Operation Sindoor. Operation Sindoor's success resulted in the destruction of the crucial terror infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan. The lethal missile attacks neutralised 100-plus hardcore terrorists. Ten family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar were killed in the Bahalwalpur complex. Since Jaish is mostly run by Masood's family, with different members taking care of different wings of the organisation, like a typical 'family enterprise,' the loss of ten members can be devastating. Reportedly, Mufti Rauf Azgar, Jaish operational commander and Maulana Masood Azhar's brother, was killed, but his death has not been confirmed yet. Mufti Rauf Azhar's death can be a shattering blow to Jaish, as he supervised the operational matters of JeM, such as training, finances, recruitment, infiltration, and planning and executing fidayeen attacks in India. Masood's brother-in-law, Yusuf Azhar, in charge of weapons training and the mastermind of several terror plots in Kashmir, also died. He was the de facto chief of JeM, as Masood takes care of strategic and outreach matters. The other high-value targets include Hafiz Mohammad, a Jaishe, and Abu Akasha, a member of LeT's central committee at Muridke. Mohammad Hasan Khan, son of the Jaish operational commander, Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, also died. Neutralisation of terrorist commanders and the terror infrastructure is likely to weaken their capacity to run the terror machinery in Kashmir. Pakistan's links with terrorist organisations are out in the open. Following the attack on terror camps, there was a barrage of images showing Pakistan army generals and senior police officers attending the funerals of deceased terrorists. In one of the images, the senior army generals are standing behind Hafiz Abdur Rauf, the US-designated global terrorist and LeT commander, offering funeral prayers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Secondly, India's conventional superiority is firmly established. The swiftness and precision with which India destroyed terror camps, military installations, and Pakistan's air bases proved that there is no match for India. Chinese HQ 9 air defence systems proved to be an abject failure. The Indian four-layered air defence systems intercepted Pakistani missiles and drones. Indian indigenous weapons like Akash and BrahMos and Russian S400 effectively thwarted Pakistan's projectiles. India emerges as an exemplary military leader, inflicting a crushing defeat on its nuclear-armed adversary in a short and swift war of four days, without getting caught in a long-ranging low-intensity war trap. Indian missiles hit the Nur Khan base, close to the Nuclear Command Centre and the entrance gates of Pakistan's nuclear storage facilities in the Sargodha complex, disabling Pakistani forces from accessing their nukes hidden deep in the underground complex. The open-source intelligence lends credence to such unverified rumours. However, neither India nor Pakistan has confirmed strikes on nuclear facilities. Air warfare historian Tim Cooper suggests a 'clear-cut victory' for India. He argues that India's attack on Pakistan's nuclear storage facilities demonstrates its confidence in thwarting Pakistan's nuclear retaliation, speaking volumes about India's capabilities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nevertheless, Pakistan's conventional weaknesses and vulnerabilities stand exposed. The lack of strategic depth renders all the cities of Pakistan vulnerable to Indian missiles. Hostile Afghan Taliban, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Baluchi rebels can make Pakistan's situation pathetic in the event of a full-scale war with India. In the absence of a robust air defence system, Pakistani forces will not survive long against their adversary. Once their air defences crumble, Indian missiles can flatten Pakistan in no time. On the borders, Indian artillery and superior firepower can rout Pakistani forces, following which India's infantry can march into Pakistani territory. Pakistanis must ask this question to their Turkish and Chinese benefactors: will they send their ground troops to fight Indian forces? Discussing India's shortcomings in Operation Sindoor is crucial to prevent casualties and failures in the future. First, India retaliated 14 days after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. This gap resonated with lofty and aggressive claims to seek revenge. Against the backdrop of the 2019 Balakot strike, Pakistan realised early that Indian retaliation was coming, and it got sufficient time to prepare. Reportedly, Pakistan shut down 1,000 madrasas in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir around May 2 or 3. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There was gung-ho about the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty decision; however, the measure without a robust kinetic action would have served no purpose because India does not have the required infrastructure to divert the Indus water into the Indian territory. Finally, after intense and gruelling debates, India decided to go in for a proportionate, calibrated, adequate, and measured response, targeting only the terror infrastructure and deliberately avoiding the military installations and civilians. However, contrary to India's intelligence assessments, Pakistan responded with a disproportionate retaliation, killing civilians and targeting military infrastructure. The Pakistan army launched an all-out offensive on the entire Indian western border, short of sending its fighter jets into Indian territory. Indian authorities expected Pakistan to react along the lines of the post-Balakot response, i.e., a localised attack along the LoC. Possibly, attacks on Bahawalpur and Muridke complex unnerved and rattled General Asim Munir, desperate to resuscitate himself in Pakistan's fractious army by teaching India a tough lesson. Reasonably, failures in strategic forecasting and assessment might have led to some losses in the air combat on May 7; however, after that, the Indian armed forces did a course correction and destroyed their air defences before sending barrages of missiles and drones and inflicting heavy damage. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As regards Pakistan's unexpected retaliation, it can be argued that Pakistan's intent was dubious, and the reaction was not spontaneous. Given that India retaliated with Balakot airstrikes after Pulwama, it was clear to Pakistan that any future terror attack would be responded to with heavy use of force. Having known this, if Pakistan sanctioned the Pahalgam attack, it can be stated that they deliberately planned this war. Their motives can be debated. Either they wanted to unite the public opinion amidst rising discontentment against the army and intensifying Baloch and TTP movements or test India's red lines. Some other intelligence assessments suggest that the Pahalgam attack was also aimed at disturbing communal harmony in India and damaging PM Narendra Modi's credibility. Further, Pakistan's drone and missile attacks were possibly intended to test India's air defences to plan and execute something bigger later. The unexpected ceasefire met with severe criticism from various quarters. Many former army generals said that once again India repeated its history of sacrificing victory when it was too close, as happened in 1947, 1965, 1971, and the 1999 Kargil conflict. Eminent strategic analyst Brahma Chellaney suggested that India did not gain much by destroying terror camps because they can be rebuilt as long as the Pakistan army, the entity behind the terror infrastructure, remains functional. Aptly summarising the ceasefire, he said that India snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD General public opinion and several experts criticised the ceasefire as a lost opportunity to destroy the Pakistan army, get back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and disintegrate Pakistan. In effect, they expected India to escalate and move its ground forces into PoK. However, this needs to be analysed in the immediate context. India never planned or intended to attack Pakistan. Its early response to terror camps was measured, adequate, and proportionate, clearly signalling that New Delhi did not intend to escalate. Though the social media discourse and India's public intellectuals had engaged in a hyper-nationalistic frenzy, passionately ramping up the idea of conquering PoK and disintegrating Pakistan. Baloch and TTP attacks claiming high casualty figures further emboldened them; however, in the top echelons of political leadership and the intelligence, defence, and diplomatic set-up, there was hardly any talk of India even visualising an offensive to bring back PoK. India's Operation Sindoor's prime objective was to bring justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, not to conquer territory. Its essence was symbolic, ie, hitting the terror camps hard and signalling a strong message to Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the diplomacy front, India faces a disturbing situation. In this war, expectedly, Turkey and China firmly supported Pakistan with weapons and diplomacy. Pakistan used Chinese jets, air defence systems, and Turkish loitering munitions. In West Asia, Israel unequivocally supported India. India used Israeli Heron drones against Pakistan. The UAE also showed a conspicuous pro-India diplomatic stance in condemnation of the Pahalgam attack; however, Abu Dhabi was critical of the abeyance of the Indus Waters treaty. Hence, its support was not unequivocal. Other West Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Iran officially maintained strict neutrality and called for de-escalation. However, they expressed solidarity with Pakistan on the common religious identity. The OIC, which includes India's friends like Saudi Arabia, in its official statement expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation in South Asia, cited India's 'unfounded allegations' as the main reason behind the escalation. Kremlin supported India. Initially, the US kept a non-interventionist approach and gave India a free hand; however, on May 10, US President Donald Trump tweeted and claimed to have 'helped' in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The so-called 'US-mediated' ceasefire seems to have brought Washington closer to Islamabad and paved the way for internationalising the Kashmir issue. However, India categorically denied the role of the US in the ceasefire, stating that Kashmir is a bilateral issue. Nevertheless, Trump's eagerness to mediate in the Kashmir issue and hobnobbing with Islamist Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar raises several questions about America's future diplomatic and military stance in the event of another war between the nuclear adversaries. Conclusion First and foremost, Modi emerges as a national hero capable of leading India in a major war-like situation and navigating through global diplomatic challenges. Modi appears to have come out with his true self, empowered the armed forces by giving them a free hand, and led the country towards a decisive victory. Pakistan, driven by its pathological hatred for India, rooted in its jihadist mindset, is unlikely to abate terror activities. Reportedly, in the recent conflict, more than 50 terrorists have infiltrated into Indian Kashmir under the cover of LoC firing. With a friendly Bangladesh, General Headquarters Rawalpindi can infiltrate saboteurs from the porous Bangladesh border. Pakistan is still likely to orchestrate fidayeen attacks in J&K and other parts of India. Besides, these attacks can also create communal disturbances by intensifying Hindu-Muslim polarisation in India. Internally, such fidayeens and terrorists can hamper troop movements, conduct fidayeens near the military convoys, and contaminate water and food supplies. India's new doctrine on terror explicitly states that terror attacks will be considered an act of war. Given that India will have to militarily respond. In all likelihood, Pakistan will use such pretexts to provoke India and engage in a full-scale war. Assured support of China and Turkey will encourage Pakistan. Additionally, Islamabad can get firm support from the Islamic world and terror groups. India needs to be prepared for a scenario where China and Bangladesh open a front on their borders during the India-Pakistan war. It will be challenging for India to get global diplomatic support, except from Israel and Russia. Hence, India needs to scale up its diplomatic heft towards external balancing. Russia can be a critical link in managing China and getting an uninterrupted supply of crucial weapons during wartime. In PM Modi's words, Operation Sindoor has not concluded. The Indus Waters Treaty continues to be in abeyance. Mistrust prevails on both sides. Gloves are off. Any small spark can lead to the unleashing of missiles and drones into each other's territory. South Asia remains extremely volatile, militarised, and dangerous. Hence, India must deliberate and prepare for a final and full-scale conventional war with Pakistan. The use of nuclear weapons cannot be ruled out. Strategically, India is not left with many choices to ensure stability and peace in South Asia, except aiming towards a robust solution for its Pakistan problem, and that is the disintegration of Pakistan. The author is a Cornell University graduate in public affairs, bachelors from St Stephen's College, Delhi and has done his PhD on Jaish-e-Mohammad. He is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, Indian foreign policy and Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Jammu: Soldier killed in Kishtwar encounter, 2 others hurt
A soldier was killed in action and two others were wounded during a fierce gun battle with a group of Jaish terrorists, believed to be three to four in numbers, in a forested area of Kishtwar district on Thursday, officials said. Acting on an intelligence input provided by local police, a joint search operation was launched in Singhpora area of Chatroo around 6 am by para commandos of the elite special forces and army's counter insurgency wings — 7 Assam Rifles, 11 Rashtriya Rifles besides special operations group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. 'A fierce gunfight erupted this morning between terrorists and security forces in which three soldiers were injured. They were immediately evacuated to the Command Hospital in Udhampur where one of them succumbed to his injuries,' said defence officials. Nagrota-based White Knight Corps stated on X, 'During the ongoing operation, fierce gunfight is continuing. One of our #Bravehearts (sic) sustained grievous injuries in the exchange of fire and has succumbed despite best medical efforts. Operation is in progress.' Reinforcements were rushed to the area. 'After initial gunfight, intermittent firing took place during the day. A cordon is in place and the operation is on to neutralise the terrorists,' said defence officials. Official sources confided to HT that three to four Jaish terrorists with whom intermittent exchange of fire was on included outfit's self-styled commander Saifullah Balochi. Recent encounters and terrorists' movement On April 12, one Saifullah Balochi had managed to escape during an encounter in the adjoining Naidgam forests of Chatroo. However, security forces had gunned down three terrorists — Adil, Farman and Basha. The Singhpora forest in Kishtwar is geographically located next to Anantnag district and has remained a transit route for terrorists to cross over to Kashmir. On April 3, two terrorists had barged into a house in Udhampur's Chore Panjwa-Khabbal area in Majalta block, held the family hostage and forcibly took away a mobile phone and food before fleeing around 10 pm. The terrorists were first sighted in a forest in Saniyal village of Hiranagar sector on March 23. Police and security forces have been tracking terrorists moving from one area to another since March 23. Two terrorists and four policemen were killed in the encounter on March 27 in Sufain forest near Jakhole village of Kathua district.
