Pakistan's Renewed Terror Strategy: LeT and JeM Target Jammu & Kashmir Six Months After Operation Sindoor

Officials in New Delhi have described the intelligence as a "critical warning"

Srinagar/New Delhi:

Intelligence reports obtained by NDTV indicate a concerning increase in Pakistan-supported terrorist activities targeting Jammu and Kashmir. Six months following India's Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, evidence suggests that Pakistan-based terrorist organizations, particularly Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), are preparing for a series of coordinated attacks.

The intelligence document reveals that terrorist groups have intensified infiltration efforts, reconnaissance activities, and cross-border logistics operations since September. Multiple LeT and JeM units have reportedly entered Jammu and Kashmir through infiltration routes along the Line of Control (LoC), with support from Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives.

Sources indicate that a LeT unit commanded by terrorist Shamsher has conducted aerial surveillance using drones to identify vulnerable sections along the LoC, suggesting potential fidayeen-style attacks or weapons deliveries in the coming weeks.

Intelligence assessments also indicate that Pakistan's Border Action Teams (BATs), comprising former SSG personnel and terrorists, have been repositioned across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), indicating possible cross-border attacks on Indian positions. This represents one of the most significant escalations since Operation Sindoor, reflecting Pakistan's renewed strategy to destabilize the Union Territory.

High-level meetings in PoK during October 2025 reportedly included senior members of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hizbul Mujahideen, and ISI officials. According to intercepted communications, these gatherings finalized plans to reactivate dormant terror cells, provide monthly financial support to former commanders, and direct groups to retaliate against losses suffered during Operation Sindoor. ISI handlers have reportedly instructed terror organizations to intensify attacks against Indian security forces and political workers.

In a concerning development, LeT operatives have begun identifying local supporters and assets throughout the Kashmir valley, rebuilding their human intelligence network that had been largely dismantled following India's intensified counter-terrorism operations earlier this year. Parallel narco-terror and weapons smuggling networks are also being expanded to fund terrorist activities, similar to patterns observed in Punjab and parts of Rajasthan earlier this year.

These developments occur during a period of relative calm in Jammu and Kashmir, where local elections and gradual tourism recovery have been considered signs of normalization. However, security agencies warn that the ISI-supported terror infrastructure is attempting to undermine this progress, especially after Pakistan faced international isolation for sponsoring terrorism. Since April 2025, Pakistan's worsening economic crisis and political instability have further empowered hardline elements within its establishment to reignite proxy conflicts along the LoC.

Officials in New Delhi have characterized this intelligence as a "critical warning" and noted that the Indian Army and intelligence agencies are on high alert across northern command sectors. Operation Sindoor, which dismantled multiple LeT and TRF networks earlier this year, may soon enter a new phase if Pakistan's "export of terror" continues unabated.

This intelligence information coincides with India conducting its largest Trishul Tri-service exercise along the western borders of Gujarat and Rajasthan. As winter approaches, a season traditionally characterized by reduced infiltration, analysts caution that Pakistan's renewed aggression could signal the beginning of an extended period of terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir, challenging India's security apparatus once again.