New Delhi, September 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has reportedly reduced its reliance on recruiting local youth for ground-level terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, while increasingly favouring Pakistani nationals affiliated with groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), according to intelligence officials.
Officials said the shift followed high-level discussions in Pakistan in recent months, where the assessment was that Pakistani terrorists could sustain longer operations in Jammu and Kashmir than locally recruited militants.
An Intelligence Bureau official said there had been a significant decline in the recruitment of locals into JeM and LeT networks. According to the official, Pakistan-based operatives are considered more hardened and capable of remaining concealed for extended periods in difficult terrain before carrying out attacks on instructions from their handlers.
The assessment also reportedly factors in the vulnerability of local recruits. Security forces have, in several instances, persuaded families to intervene and encourage local militants to surrender. Officials said such surrenders are viewed as particularly damaging to terror networks because surrendered operatives can provide information about their communication and logistical systems.
The decline in local militancy has also been linked by officials to sustained counter-terror operations. The Hizbul Mujahideen, in particular, was unable to rebuild its local militant network after a series of encounters eliminated several of its cadres, they said.
Officials further pointed to the decline in stone-pelting and the broader improvement in the security situation following the abrogation of Article 370. Increased development and employment opportunities, they said, have contributed to a greater focus among young people on livelihoods rather than militancy.
According to an assessment attributed to an ISI-linked Kashmir study group, local recruits have a comparatively short operational lifespan and are more likely to be apprehended or killed. Those captured may also disclose information about terror groups’ communication and logistics networks during interrogation.
Local recruits retained for support networks
While reducing the use of locals in direct attacks, the ISI has reportedly continued recruiting young people as overground workers (OGWs).
Officials said locals remain valuable to Pakistan-backed terror networks because of their familiarity with the geography of Jammu and Kashmir and their ability to provide shelter, transportation and other logistical support to foreign terrorists.
However, the OGWs are allegedly kept away from detailed operational information. This limited knowledge is intended to reduce the possibility of sensitive communication and operational details reaching Indian security agencies if they are apprehended.
‘Smokescreen’ groups for deniability
Officials also said Pakistan’s strategy includes the creation of groups that can claim responsibility for attacks carried out by established Pakistan-based terror organisations.
These purported “smokescreen” groups are expected to maintain a largely digital presence and use names that do not immediately indicate their religious or organisational affiliations. Officials cited groups such as The Resistance Front (TRF), Kashmir Tigers, All Tigers and the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) as examples.
According to the officials, the objective is to create an additional layer of deniability for Pakistan while Pakistani nationals remain more involved in the actual ground operations.
The reported shift indicates an attempt by Pakistan-based handlers to maintain a long-term terror infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir while limiting the operational exposure of local recruits.
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