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Introduction

India’s internal security  is undergoing a transformation with the emergence of highly trained, technologically adept terrorist groups and non‑state actors. These entities exploit digital tools, operate in decentralized cells, and often merge with cross-border networks, making conventional counter-terror strategies increasingly inadequate. The Pahalgam attack (2025) and Operation Mahadev in the Dachigam forests exemplify the evolving nature of these threats.

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Emerging Threats from Highly Trained, Tech‑Enabled Terrorist Groups and Non‑State Actors

• Forest-based Guerrilla Tactics: Terrorists operating from remote and dense forest regions (e.g., Dachigam) with minimal civilian contact are difficult to trace and neutralize, posing challenges to conventional counter-terror operations.
• Use of Advanced Communication Tools: Adoption of encrypted, tower-less, and self-erasing communication systems (“ultra sets”) enables secure, undetectable coordination between handlers and operatives.
• Communal based Targeting: Deliberate attacks segregating communities aim to inflame communal tensions across India and destabilize societal harmony.
• Disinformation and Psychological Warfare: Circulation of fake communal videos and misinformation on social media platforms incites unrest and creates polarisation in sensitive regions.
• Cross-border Terror Ecosystems: Collaboration between Pakistani proxies and criminal networks in Indian border states (e.g., West Bengal) sustains infiltration, radicalisation, and smuggling operations.
• Digital Financial Channels: Sophisticated use of hawala networks and cryptocurrencies allows undetected funding of terror activities, bypassing traditional financial surveillance systems.
  

Comprehensive Measures to Effectively Counter the Threats:

• Tech-integrated Surveillance Infrastructure: Deploy AI-enabled CCTV networks, facial recognition, and big data analytics in urban and tourist-sensitive zones to detect and track suspicious movements proactively.
  Eg: Like the Safe-city concept of China, using AI and face recognition paired with big data to keep check on illicit activities.
• Strengthened Human and Signal Intelligence (HUMINT/SIGINT): Enhance ground-level informant networks and invest in modern interception technology to monitor handlers, financiers, and radical elements.
  Eg: Human intelligence and intercepted ultra-set communications enabled the tracking and elimination of Pahalgam terrorists under Operation Mahadev.
• Counter-Disinformation Units: Set up dedicated inter-ministerial teams for real-time fact-checking, narrative correction, and counter-propaganda on social media platforms, especially in communal flashpoints.
• Smart Counter-Terror Operations: Shift from visible military presence to precise, intelligence-driven operations using drones, thermal sensors, and agile task forces to maintain public confidence while neutralising threats.
• Community-Based Counter-Radicalisation: Launch inclusive programmes involving religious leaders, civil society, and educators to inoculate vulnerable youth against extremist ideologies.
• Strategic International Cooperation: Partner with nations affected by transnational terror for intelligence sharing, tech support, and cyber surveillance  particularly targeting terror financing and communication nodes.
• Diplomatic Pressure on State Sponsors: Tie international aid to democratic reforms in Pakistan and support civilian rule to isolate the military-jihadi complex that fuels cross-border terrorism.
  

Conclusion

Terrorism today is a hybrid threat, driven by advanced tech, psychological warfare, and decentralised actors. India must adopt a multi-dimensional response, integrating technology, precision operations, community engagement, and strategic diplomacy, to safeguard internal security and avoid a return to past vulnerabilities.

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