New Delhi, March 28 With Jaish-e-Mohammad largely in a subdued state, its operatives within India have been instructed to find new ways to raise funds for operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jaish-e-Mohammad was one of the most severely affected terrorist groups during Operation Clean Sweep. Not only was its headquarters in Bahawalpur destroyed, but its chief, Masood Azhar, also lost several of his closest family members.
Although there are numerous Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives waiting in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to infiltrate into India, they have been unable to do so due to very high security.
Now, the Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives in Jammu and Kashmir have been instructed to raise funds and recruit locals to carry out attacks.
An official from the Intelligence Bureau said that there are several overground workers (OWGs) in Jammu and Kashmir, and they have been told to run an extortion racket.
The official said that these OWGs have been preparing a list of targets, not just in Jammu and Kashmir, but also in Punjab, Haryana, and New Delhi. The aim is to target wealthy individuals and extort money from them. Furthermore, these operatives are also planning kidnappings in exchange for ransom, the official added.
In addition to this, the Jaish-e-Mohammad is also building a spy network at the behest of the ISI. The OWGs have been instructed to identify vulnerable people in the border states and lure them into joining the spy network, officials say.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad continues to nurture hundreds of OWGs in Jammu and Kashmir. They have been instructed not to engage in acts of terror in the Valley at the moment. Instead, they have been told to raise funds through kidnapping and extortion.
Another official said that there is a clear indication that the group is taking a cautious approach, because it is very difficult to operate now. Following the Pahalgam attack, security is high both at the borders and within Jammu and Kashmir. Not only have infiltrations become difficult, but operating within the Valley is tough due to intense scrutiny.
Another major challenge facing the Jaish-e-Mohammad is funding. The flow of money has almost stopped, and hence its operatives in the Valley have been told to fend for themselves.
Officials say that the Jaish-e-Mohammad realizes that infiltrations have become extremely difficult. This has led the group to change its strategy and think about completely localized operations.
However, for these operations to take off, there is a dire need for funds. Funds from across the border have stopped due to heavy security, and this has led the OWGs to raise money on their own. The OWGs backed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad are spreading to Haryana and Delhi apart from Jammu and Kashmir.
Many OWGs have branched out in different directions and are looking to extort money from wealthy individuals.
Officials say that these individuals would also look to kidnap the children of wealthy people and demand ransom. All this money, which they intend to make, would be used to set up modules and fund the operations of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Jammu and Kashmir, the official also added.
The changing tactics of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were evident when the police busted one of its modules in Mohali, Punjab. Sahil Bashir (19) from Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir was arrested along with two others in a murder case. The police alleged that these individuals had shot a driver, Anil Kumar.
The police say that this points to a case of carjacking, and the accused had intended to raise funds. Bashir, who led the operation, was a wanted criminal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The accused, after killing the driver, drove away with the belongings. It was a clear case of carjacking aimed at raising funds for terror activities.
The Intelligence agencies warn that this trend could spread to Haryana and Delhi as the Jaish-e-Mohammad has already planned major operations relating to kidnapping and extortion. The incident in Punjab is just a precursor to what the outfit has been planning in other states as well, officials say.