Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 20: Banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) will operate under the new name Al-Murabitun, meaning ‘defenders of Islam’ in Arabic, within Pakistan, intelligence sources told NDTV. The rebranding is reportedly timed ahead of a ‘memorial’ for Yusuf Azhar, brother of JeM founder Masood Azhar, next week.

The group, responsible for attacks including the 2001 Indian Parliament strike, 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and terror strikes in Uri and Pulwama, is seeking to distance itself from the ‘Jaish-e-Mohammed’ name due to international sanctions that complicate funding access. Sources said the new name will be used primarily for operations inside Pakistan.

A recent Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report highlighted the group’s shift to digital payments, including e-wallets and UPI transfers, to channel money for rebuilding efforts. At least five such digital wallets have been traced, with direct links to JeM and Masood Azhar’s family. The goal is reportedly to raise nearly four billion Pakistani rupees to establish over 300 training hubs or ‘markaz’.

Intelligence dossiers accessed by NDTV indicate that JeM, along with other targeted terror groups such as Hafiz Saeed’s Hizbul Mujahideen, is relocating deeper into Pakistan, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghanistan border. The dossier also details recruitment drives, including one in Garhi Habibullah, Mansehra district, on September 14, led by Jaish commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri. The drive reportedly had protection from Pakistan’s Army and police and took place hours before the India-Pakistan cricket match in Dubai.

Analysts note that routing funds via digital wallets allows Pakistan to claim compliance with FATF rules while JeM continues to secure financing for operations and rebuilding, following India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terrorist camps including Bahawalpur in May.