Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has launched a calculated, long-term radicalisation campaign targeting youth across Jammu and Kashmir, with Indian intelligence agencies picking up intercepts pointing to a structured effort coordinated from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to officials. The development has prompted both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the State Investigation Agency (SIA) to intensify counter-terror and counter-radicalisation operations across the region.

How the Radicalisation Network Operates

According to officials, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have established dedicated units — staffed largely by youth who previously exfiltrated into Pakistan and PoK — and tasked them with identifying and radicalising a select group of individuals inside Jammu and Kashmir. These operatives are reportedly exploiting family ties, using relatives still residing in the Valley as contact points to locate susceptible targets.

The design is deliberately slow and incremental. Officials say the ISI has specifically instructed LeT to adopt a measured approach — first radicalising a small cohort, then directing those individuals to recruit further, creating a self-replicating homegrown module. 'The intention is to first radicalise a handful of people and then ask the same persons to identify more people,' an official said.

SIA Identifies Five Suspects, Including Two Women

In a recent operation, the SIA identified five persons — including two women — who were found to be in active contact with handlers based in Pakistan and PoK. Investigators determined that attempts were under way to radicalise these individuals. The arrests are seen as an early indicator of how far the network's reach has extended into civilian circles, including demographics not traditionally associated with militancy.

Officials note that radicalisation poses a more complex security challenge than conventional terrorism. A large base of radicalised individuals, they warn, eventually fuels acts of terror while providing logistical and social cover — making detection and interdiction significantly harder than tracking armed militants.

Fresh Infiltration Bid: 30-40 Terrorists at Launchpads

Simultaneously, intelligence assessments indicate that the ISI is preparing to push 30 to 40 terrorists currently positioned at launchpads in PoK across the Line of Control into Jammu and Kashmir. Once across, these militants are reportedly instructed to take cover in dense forest cover and remain dormant until ordered to execute a large-scale strike.

Officials warn that the planned attack is being calibrated to match the scale of the Pahalgam or Pulwama incidents. The specific brief to the infiltrating group is reportedly to target Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers, with the broader aim of sowing communal discord and disrupting social harmony in the region.

Agencies' Response and Broader Context

This comes amid a period in which security forces had recorded a measurable decline in both radicalisation and active terrorism in the Valley. Officials say they are 'leaving no stone unturned' to prevent a reversal. The NIA and SIA have ramped up surveillance, source networks, and legal action against individuals found to be in contact with Pakistan-based handlers.

Notably, the current drive represents at least the third documented attempt by Lashkar-e-Taiba to rebuild its grassroots presence in Jammu and Kashmir following successive dismantling operations by Indian security forces. Counter-terror officials say the slow-burn strategy reflects a tactical adaptation — moving away from high-visibility infiltration toward quieter ideological mobilisation that is harder to detect and prosecute.

With infiltration bids escalating and a homegrown radicalisation module reportedly taking shape, security agencies face a dual-front challenge that will test both intelligence capability and community outreach in the weeks ahead.