Modi govt designates 23 LeT, JeM operatives as terrorists under UAPA in anti-terror push

The Modi government on Saturday designated 23 operatives linked to Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in what officials described as part of a broader “Prahar” strategy to counter evolving terror threats.

Of the 23 individuals named, 13 are associated with the Lahore-based LeT and 10 with the Bahawalpur-based JeM. The list includes 16 Pakistani nationals and seven Indians operating from Pakistan. Many of them face ongoing terror investigations and active arrest warrants in India.

According to officials, those designated were involved in a range of activities including propaganda through front organisations, recruitment, training, arms smuggling and facilitating infiltration of militants into Indian territory.

Among the LeT operatives named is Saifullah Khalid, described as a close associate of LeT/Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the outfit’s deputy chief. Khalid has also been designated a global terrorist by the United States.

Another LeT figure, Hafiz Abdur Rauf, was accused of leading funeral prayers for militants killed during India’s “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, 2025. Officials said he was seen at LeT’s Muridke camp alongside senior Pakistan Army officers.

The JeM list includes figures such as Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan, described as the outfit’s chief commander for Kashmir operations, and Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, identified as JeM’s emir in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Authorities allege JeM uses commanders including Abdullah Jehadi, Mohammed Mussadiq and Waseem Noor to facilitate cross-border infiltration of militants, weapons and ammunition through tunnels and drones.

Masood Ilyas Kashmiri is also accused of overseeing recruitment and JeM’s social media operations. Indian agencies have named him as a key accused in the April 2022 Sunjwan terror attack.

Officials said recruitment remains a critical function for these groups, with social media increasingly used to target youth in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. Mohammed Shahed Faisal, a software engineer from Bengaluru, was identified as an online recruiter allegedly involved in training recruits in bomb-making and target selection. He has been linked to several terror cases, including the 2012 Bengaluru conspiracy case.

The designations come days after the US State Department designated The Resistance Front (TRF), described by India as an LeT proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a specially designated global terrorist entity on July 18, 2025.

Officials said the latest move is aimed at curbing radicalisation, recruitment and cross-border infiltration, while reinforcing the government’s stated policy of “zero tolerance” toward terrorism through legal action, counter-terror operations and international diplomatic efforts.