Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir are grappling with a new and concerning tactic employed by infiltrating terrorists: ‘conservation and consolidation.’ This strategy, evident in recent ambushes and encounters in North Kashmir and Kathua district, presents a significant challenge for security forces. While officials remain on high alert, the lack of ground-level intelligence, particularly human intelligence (HUMINT), hampers their ability to effectively counter this threat.
Terrorists are utilizing online activity to mislead authorities, rendering technical intelligence (TECHINT) less fruitful. The reliance on TECHINT has proven insufficient as terrorists skillfully use the internet to obscure their true intentions. This has prompted officials to emphasize the urgent need for heightened surveillance, particularly in the Jammu region, which has witnessed a concerning rise in terror incidents, especially in border districts like Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, and Reasi.
The recent attacks on an IAF convoy, a pilgrim bus, and the killing of soldiers in Kathua serve as stark reminders of the evolving nature of the threat. Under the ‘conservation and consolidation’ tactics, terrorists infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir but remain silent initially, seamlessly blending into the local population. They wait for instructions from their handlers in Pakistan before carrying out attacks. This approach makes it incredibly difficult to identify and apprehend them before they strike.
The April 26 encounter in Sopore, where foreign terrorists involved had been hiding for 18 months, exemplifies this tactic. Evidence revealed their connections to terror groups across Kashmir and their use of sophisticated weaponry. Similar operations in June further dismantled hidden networks, exposing terrorists’ plans and capabilities, and highlighting the previously unseen level of infiltration from across the border.
The decline in HUMINT, coupled with the terrorists’ use of encrypted communication tools like ‘Ultra Set’ phones, makes tracking their movements and activities even more challenging. Security agencies are actively encouraging heightened surveillance and public vigilance to counter this hidden threat. Despite the terrorists’ capabilities potentially diminishing, their intent remains a constant threat, as a senior police official highlighted.
Officials have raised concerns about the use of encrypted messaging apps for radicalizing and recruiting youths and planning attacks. They stress the importance of public vigilance in monitoring suspicious communication, particularly among youth, to protect the community. This calls for a collective effort involving both security agencies and the general public to combat this evolving form of terrorism.
