New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) Following Operation Sindoor, significant damage occurred to the ISI's favored proxies, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. Both groups have since attempted to regroup, but their progress remains sluggish.

Recently, the ISI convened these two factions and instructed them to jointly focus on rebuilding and executing terror attacks.

However, the Hizbul Mujahideen, which also faced setbacks during Operation Sindoor, has been excluded from nearly all initiatives.

Despite being a locally rooted terror organization, the ISI seems intent on sidelining it.

A counterterrorism analyst suggests that this exclusion is intentional. The ISI has started to recognize that the local populace in Jammu and Kashmir is increasingly disinterested in violence, resulting in a notable decrease in local terrorist numbers.

While the presence of overground workers persists in Jammu and Kashmir, recruitment has significantly declined.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Narendra Modi administration, security forces have been operating with greater autonomy, leading to the neutralization of numerous terrorists. These operations have not only targeted individuals but also dismantled their ideological and logistical support networks. With separatism approaching its end, there is a lack of individuals to incite the youth into violence or stone-pelting activities.

This separatist framework was essential for the Hizbul Mujahideen, and with the ecosystem deteriorating, the group faces immense challenges in re-establishing itself in the Valley.

Moreover, the swift manner in which Indian security forces dismantled the entire leadership in Jammu and Kashmir has led to a significant drop in new recruitments, as few now align with this outfit.

They have come to understand that the Syed Salahuddin-led group is considerably weakened.

Recently, the ISI urged the Hizbul Mujahideen to launch an online propaganda campaign, but this initiative has not resonated well in the Valley. Calls to the youth of Kashmir to join and rejuvenate the group have met with a tepid response, according to an Intelligence Bureau official.

While the Jaish and Lashkar pose significant threats in the Valley, intelligence agencies assert that the Hizbul Mujahideen was once a more formidable entity, known for its ease of recruitment and resonance with youth ideology.

Another official noted that the entire command structure of the group has been eradicated in a remarkably short time. This reality has impacted the youth's mindset, leading them to realize that a terrorist's life expectancy is alarmingly short, making the choice to join the Hizbul Mujahideen illogical.

Officials suggest that the youth have come to understand that there is no future in this path.

The ISI acknowledges that all efforts made by the Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir have proven unsuccessful. Consequently, they believe that allowing the Hizbul Mujahideen to operate alongside the Jaish and Lashkar would be more harmful than advantageous, as per counterterrorism experts.

A major factor contributing to the Hizbul Mujahideen's decline is its inability to promote a narrative of discrimination and senseless killings by the Indian government. Observing the recent operations conducted by security forces, it is evident that they have been executed with minimal collateral damage while enhancing surveillance.

Currently, there is a greater reliance on human intelligence, which has been strengthened due to local community support. Locals have increasingly allied themselves with security forces, recognizing that the efforts to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir have ultimately been more beneficial for them.

Concerns such as discrimination and demands for autonomy are no longer viable issues for the Hizbul Mujahideen to champion. This has rendered the group entirely ineffective, which is why the ISI is refraining from granting it any significant role.

An Intelligence Bureau official indicated that the ISI is likely to instruct Hizbul Mujahideen operatives to collaborate with the Lashkar and the Jaish but will not permit it to operate independently. The Hizbul Mujahideen lacks the traction necessary for prominence and will likely remain in the shadows for the foreseeable future, the official added.