Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM)
Name(s). Army of Mohammed; Khaddam ul-Islam.
Goals and Objectives. The JEM aims to end Indian rule in disputed Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), expel Indian security forces from the region, and unite J&K with Pakistan.
Favored Tactics. Experts describe JEM strategies and attacks as fidayeen (suicide terrorist) in nature. In this type of operation, a terrorist launches an attack with the intention to kill as many people as possible and the expectation of being killed at the scene of the attack in retaliation. In this fashion, JEM militants allegedly stormed the Indian Parliament building, proceeded to engage the security personnel in a firefight, and killed 10 people. All five terrorists in this attack were killed. The JEM use a variety of firearms, including light and heavy machine guns, and assault rifles. JEM assailants have also used mortars, improvised explosive devices, and rocket grenades.

Brief History. The JEM is a Pakistan-based, militant Islamic group founded by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000. Indian authorities arrested Azhar in February 1994 in connection with terrorist activities perpetrated by Harakat-ul- Mujahideen (HUM). Azhar was released from prison in December 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages aboard an Indian plane that had been hijacked by HUM militants. Azhar established JEM shortly after his release from prison in India with the express purpose of attacking Indian targets and liberating J&K from Indian rule. The JEM has targeted Indian officials, government buildings, and soldiers as well as non-Muslim civilians in Pakistan and in J&K. The JEM is suspected of executing a suicide bomb attack outside the J&K state assembly building on October 1, 2001, killing up to 38 people. The group initially claimed credit for the attack, but later denied involvement. The Indian government has also accused the JEM, in conjunction with Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, of carrying out a deadly attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. Armed with explosive materials and firearms, five assailants stormed the Parliament and "fired indiscriminately," killing nine security guards and one civilian bystander. In January 2002, the government of Pakistan banned JEM and several other groups (see also Lashkar-e-Tayyiba entry, below).

The JEM is viewed by some as the "deadliest" and "principal terrorist organization in Jammu and Kashmir." As of September 2003, crackdowns on the JEM have resulted in the deaths of 555 militants so far this year, including Gazi Baba, operations chief of the group (Aug 30, 2001), and Nasir Mehmood Ahwan, second in command (Sept. 17, 2003). After President Musharraf outlawed the group in January 2002, JEM changed its name to Khaddam-ul Islam. At the same time, JEM’s leader and founder, Azhar, was placed under house arrest, but then he was released in December 2002.

Favored Tactics. Experts describe JEM strategies and attacks as fidayeen (suicide terrorist) in nature. In this type of operation, a terrorist launches an attack with the intention to kill as many people as possible and the expectation of being killed at the scene of the attack in retaliation. In this fashion, JEM militants allegedly stormed the Indian Parliament building, proceeded to engage the security personnel in a firefight, and killed 10 people. All five terrorists in this attack were killed. The JEM use a variety of firearms, including light and heavy machine guns, and assault rifles. JEM assailants have also used mortars, improvised explosive devices, and rocket grenades.

Anti-American Activities. The JEM was implicated in the February 2002 kidnapping and execution of journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi. Pearl, 38, worked as the South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He was on assignment in Karachi to interview members of militant groups and trace their possible links with alleged shoe-bomber Richard Reid. (See also Lashkar I Jhangvi entry.)

Primary Area(s) of Operation. The JEM is based in Pakistan and Pakistan controlled Kashmir. Most of its supporters are in Azad, Kashmir, Pakistan and India’s southern Kashmir and Doda regions. The JEM primarily launches attacks in Indian-controlled J&K. The attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 is the only recorded instance in which the JEM attacked a target outside of the J&K.

Strength and Composition. The JEM consists of several hundred armed supporters. Most of its members are Kashmiris and Pakistanis. By some accounts, up to 75% of JEM are former HUM members. The JEM is said to have supporters and sympathizers in Afghanistan, including former Taliban associates and Arab veterans of the Afghan war. Until the fall of 2001, the JEM reportedly "maintained training camps in Afghanistan."

Connections with Other Groups. The JEM is reportedly linked with the former Taliban regime and is believed to receive funding from Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network. The connection with the Taliban was apparently established and maintained through madrassahs (religious schools) in Karachi and Afghanistan. JEM leader Azhar has reportedly met with leaders and key figures in

both the former Taliban and Al Qaeda. Analysts believe that JEM maintains ties with other Sunni Muslim groups in Pakistan, including Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Lashkar I Jhangvi (LIJ), and Sipahi-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP).

State Supporters and Other Sources of Funding. Experts believe that JEM has received some monetary support from bin Laden and Al Qaeda as well as HUM and Harakat ul-Jihad al- Islami (HUJI). Indian officials claim that the JEM has also received support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in an attempt to undermine Indian security forces and bolster Pakistan’s position in the dispute over Kashmir. Those claims remain in dispute.

Originally Designated as an FTO. December 24, 2001.

Issues of Concern for Congress. This group is potentially a serious threat to stability in South Asia. Its ties to Al Qaeda and the former Taliban regime make it a significant concern for the United States. Its murder of Daniel Pearl and targeting of U.S. facilities may indicate that JEM will continue to target other American citizens and interests in the future. Attacks by JEM exacerbate the tensions between India and Pakistan, two nuclear states apparently often on the brink of war.