The ongoing encounter of security forces (SF) in Udhampur’s Soan village with a group of hardcore Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists once again demonstrates that Pakistan has made major changes in its terrorism strategy and tactics after the abrogation of Article 370.

In many of the recent encounters, the forces are finding it difficult to neutralise the highly trained foreign terrorists (FT) of Pakistan that dominate the terror scenario in Kashmir now. Hence, it is essential to understand the nuances of the post-370 terrorism.

In the post-370 phase of Kashmir terrorism, India’s biggest challenge is the lack of intelligence. Partly this is due to massive changes in Pakistan’s strategy and tactics discussed in my previous article, and partly to disruptions in the policing culture and practices after the abrogation of Article 370.

Pakistan has relieved old OGWs who had police records and were exposed. The newer breed operates in complete anonymity. Likewise, the terrorism is mainly driven by highly trained FTs who keep minimal contact with locals. Residing in jungles, they avoid contact with SFs and work with the support of the new OGWs. On the TECHINT front, the challenges are enormous.

The Chinese Ultra sets used by the militants are yet immune to decryption. As a result, on the intelligence front, our agencies are nearly operating in the dark. Though some successful encounters have taken place in the recent past, the unearthing of a Hamas-style large-scale terror plot after the Delhi metro blast (10th November 2025) suggests a huge dark zone that our agencies are struggling hard to explore and break open.

First and foremost, the HUMINT footprint must be strengthened. It requires revitalising the police structure and their operational dynamics in J&K. Over the last three decades, the J&K police have evolved into a robust counter-terrorism force. The officers took personal initiative and built HUMINT networks and........

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