Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, linked by investigators to the Red Fort car bomb, is assembling a ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) unit for another strike on India and has begun soliciting funds for the operation, intelligence sources told NDTV on Wednesday morning.
Digital Fund-Raising Clues Emerge in Red Fort Blast Probe
According to sources, leads uncovered during the Red Fort bombing investigation indicate that Jaish leaders urged supporters to contribute digitally, including through a Pakistani app called SadaPay. Intelligence inputs also suggest the group may be planning a women-led assault.
Women’s Wing and Key Operative Under Scrutiny
Jaish already maintains a women’s wing led by Masood Azhar’s sister, Sadiya. She was assigned this role after Op Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack, decimated JeM camps in Bahawalpur.
One of the principal suspects in the Red Fort bombing, Dr Shahina Saeed, allegedly using the codename ‘Madam Surgeon’ and believed to have handled finances, is thought to belong to this wing, which is known as Jamat ul-Muminat.
‘Donations’ Portrayed as Acts of Jihad
Jaish leaders soliciting funds reportedly told supporters that anyone providing a winter kit for a ‘mujahid’ (fighter) would themselves be considered a ‘jihadi’. Similarly, they said individuals who “care for a ‘jihadi’ after he is killed” would also earn the same designation.
The amount sought is around 20,000 Pakistani rupees, or roughly ₹6,400, and is intended for items such as shoes, woollen socks, a mattress and a tent, all essentials a terrorist may require in the field before or after carrying out an attack.
Aim: Speedy Transfers to Field Cells
Sources added that the drive is also meant to enable swift financial support to active cells, including the 10-member ‘terror doctor’ group behind the Red Fort attack. A separate probe has now been initiated into this digital funding network.
Red Fort Blast: Fifteen Killed, Suicide Video Surfaces
Fifteen people died when a Hyundai i20 loaded with ammonium nitrate fuel oil and other explosives blew up near the historic monument on 10 November. The vehicle was driven by Dr Umar Mohammad, who perished in the explosion. On Tuesday, an undated self-recorded video of Mohammad surfaced online, in which he claimed suicide bombing was “misunderstood”.
Fresh Inputs on Jaish-Lashkar Plans in J&K
Earlier this month, new intelligence accessed by NDTV pointed to a serious escalation in Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The information indicated that major outfits, including Jaish and Lashkar-e-Taiba, are preparing for a coordinated series of attacks.
Both organisations are significant Pakistan-based groups backed by the country’s Army and deep state, and each has carried out attacks in the past six months that killed civilians.
Agencies Contrast Jaish and Lashkar Operations
On Tuesday, as the Red Fort bombing inquiry progressed, intelligence officials detailed distinctions between the two groups — including their leadership patterns, operational techniques and indoctrination methods.
