Drone Ops To Honey Traps: Pakistan's Terror Camps Design Covert Courses To Recruit Women | Exclusive
Drone Ops To Honey Traps: Pakistan's Terror Camps Design Covert Courses To Recruit Women | Exclusive Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 13, 2026
Drone Ops To Honey Traps: Pakistan's Terror Camps Design Covert Courses To Recruit Women | Exclusive Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 13, 2026, 09:59 IST The training sessions are held under the pretext of imparting various vocational and life skills. However, the real objective is to groom and induct women into terror support roles Rapid Read Locations where role-based training is being imparted to select batches of women include Bahawalpur and Faisalabad. The latest assessment by India’s central agencies has revealed that Pakistan-based terror outfits are running covert training modules to recruit women. Sources said terror outfits operating out of Pakistan have been quietly rolling out specialised training modules aimed at recruiting women deemed the “right talent" for covert roles, according to a fresh assessment compiled based on months-long intelligence inputs. Sources also said the training sessions, spanning two to four weeks, are held under the pretext of imparting various vocational and life skills.
However, the real objective, they said, is to groom and induct women into terror support roles. The courses are organised into batches to facilitate structured participation. Select ‘madrasas’—often frequented by female family members—have also been designated to support and conduct these programmes as part of the overall initiative, a top-level official in security grid told News18. One of the courses was described as being intended “for those with strong faith and belief, good character, and a desire to live a purposeful life". The description highlights the emphasis on “religious commitment and personal development" as the primary objectives of the training programmes. A senior government officer familiar with the development said Indian intelligence agencies have flagged a significant shift in terror recruitment strategy in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Specialised courses, the officer said, have been designed to identify and select the “right women" for specific operational assignments. The training, sources said, is structured around distinct skill sets, ranging from back-end logistical and operational and tech support to drone handling and operations, information gathering, and honey-trap operations intended to lure and compromise targets on a much larger scale.
This recruitment would act like a factory which will give back-end support to terrorists on ground. Central intelligence agencies have also identified specific locations where role-based training is being imparted to select batches of women, including Bahawalpur and Faisalabad and half a dozen others, which have served as logistical and training support bases for terror outfits for the last two decades. A source familiar with the latest assessment said the drive is being spearheaded through family networks, with terror leaders actively pushing their own female family members to lead large-scale recruitment of women into these networks. A significant number of terror outfit commanders, the source added, have been specifically tasked with identifying suitable women for the job. A number of new courses have been introduced, with most being offered online while a smaller number are conducted offline. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Ankur Sharma Associate Editor With more than 17 years in journalism, Ankur Sharma is an Associate Editor specializing in internal security and strategic affairs.
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