New Delhi, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The 2016 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in response to the Uri terror attack prompted a change in Pakistan’s alleged cross-border infiltration strategy, with terror launchpads reportedly shifting from traditional locations near the Kashmir Valley to challenging terrains in Jammu, officials said.
An official said the surgical strikes established a new normal, signalling that the Indian Army would respond more frequently to terrorist activity. The strikes also challenged what the official described as Pakistan’s assumption of India’s strategic restraint.
According to officials, terror launchpads that were earlier located near the dense forests of the Kashmir Valley were shifted towards the Jammu division, particularly sectors in Poonch, Rajouri and Kathua. These areas pose significant challenges for infiltration due to riverine gaps and broken terrain.
An Intelligence Bureau (IB) official said counter-infiltration measures had undergone a major transformation after the surgical strikes. Intensified counter-infiltration grids and increased deployment along the Line of Control (LoC) have made it more difficult for terrorists to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
To strengthen border security, around 700 km of the 740-km fence along the LoC has reportedly been upgraded to a Smart Fence System. The system integrates optical, thermal, acoustic and infrared sensors with AI-enabled cameras to detect suspected infiltration attempts and relay real-time feeds to command centres.
Officials also said Pakistan-backed terror groups had attempted to establish oxygen-fitted cross-border tunnels in the Jammu sector. To detect such tunnels, security agencies have deployed seismic ground sensors and hyperspectral imaging technology to identify underground vibrations and signs of disturbed earth.
Another official said the pattern of infiltration had changed following the surgical strikes and the subsequent strengthening of counter-infiltration measures. Earlier, large groups of poorly trained terrorists allegedly attempted to cross into India. The official said the strategy had since shifted towards sending smaller groups of highly trained terrorists, including pairs of infiltrators.
Officials said Pakistan was attempting to rebuild its terror network in Jammu and Kashmir but faced difficulties in doing so. Security forces have dismantled a significant part of the overground worker (OGW) network and eliminated several senior commanders, their deputies and terrorists operating on the ground, according to the officials.
An official said Pakistan was struggling to assemble a larger force of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, partly because infiltration attempts were now being made in smaller numbers.
The officials also linked changes in terror tactics to India’s responses following the surgical strikes, including the Balakot air strike and Operation Sindoor. According to an official, Pakistan had become more cautious about carrying out large-scale or high-profile attacks in India.
The official said terror groups had increasingly relied on propaganda, disinformation campaigns and targeted ambushes against security convoys and migrant workers, rather than attacks on the scale of Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam.
Officials further alleged that Pakistan-backed groups were operating through proxies of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, including The Resistance Front (TRF) and the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF). These groups, they said, were presented as homegrown outfits, potentially allowing Pakistan to deny responsibility for attacks.
An official said the use of proxy organisations was also linked to India’s changed security doctrine, under which acts of terrorism would be treated as acts of war rather than merely cross-border terrorism.
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