There are several developments that are taking place in J&K in the last couple of months. In a worrying development, the security agencies have learnt of new strategies that are being adopted by the terror groups to undertake recruitment drives.
The recruitment of newer terror terrorists has now completely moved online in recent times. Terror groups and their handlers operating from Pakistan are carrying out recruitments online and this is being done to avoid a footprint in the valley so that Islamabad can have the deniability factor.
Latest strategy
The security forces have been in overdrive mode to ensure that the Valley remains safe and there is no spurt in terror-related activities. It has now been found that to evade the security forces, terror outfits are using platforms such as X, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram to undertake the recruitment drive.
In many cases it has been found that these groups are using radical Islamic literature to brainwash the youth and rope them into their fold.
In some cases, the terror groups have also used the literature of Sayyid Qutub, an Egyptian radical. The Al-Qaeda too uses Qutub’s literature a lot during its recruitment drive. Qutub was executed in 1966 for his role in active jihad.
Further, the terror groups are heavily leveraging encrypted messaging platforms and applications such as Telegram and Mastodon. In a bid to take stock of the situation, the administrations in Rajouri and Poonch have already banned these applications,a PTI report said.
During the course of the investigation, it has been found that some of these outfits which are undertaking these recruitment drives are also affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Diversionary tactics
With the security forces and the Indian Army leaving nothing to chance, Pakistan has been indulging in diversionary tactics when it comes to recruitment and execution of attacks.
The fact is that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba continues to remain the strongest terror outfit in the Valley. However Pakistan has been under immense pressure since it was listed and then taken off the Grey List of the Financial Action Task Force for terror funding.
Pakistan wants to avoid the heat, but also wants to keep the pot boiling in J&K.
To do so, it has been using various diversionary tactics in J&K. First, it has introduced newer groups locally. Two such groups are the The Resistence Front and the Tehreek Labaik Ya Muslim (TLM). These groups pretend to operate on their own thus trying to give the impression that they are locally formed outfits with no links to Pakistan.
However investigations and Intelligence Bureau reports clearly point to the fact that both these groups are proxies of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. This was a tactic adopted to give Pakistan the deniability factor and also protect the Lashkar-e-Tayiba from international pressure.
This new strategy of undertaking recruitments online is also part of the plan not to leave a foot-print. Physical recruitment camps are not feasible any longer as the security is very tight and there is every chance of the same getting busted and the trail leading back to Pakistan. Hence the online strategy has been adopted. Further more it was found that in addition to the recruitments, even training to new recruits is being imparted online. This is more like the strategy that was adopted by the Islamic State to recruit lone wolves and train them. The Islamic State hardly has any physical camps since its fall in Iraq and Syria and since then it has largely relied on this online strategy.
Propaganda
Terror groups largely rely on propaganda to undertake recruitments. This would include false narratives such as Muslims are under threat in India or the use of radical Islamic literature by the likes of Anwar Awlaki and Sayyid Qutub.
Recently the United Nations Security Council had adopted resolution 2354 of 2017, ‘Comprehensive International Framework’, which advocates for legal and law enforcement measures, development of counter narratives and private-public partnerships.
The resolution outlines the guidelines emphasising the importance of aligning counter terrorism efforts with the United Nations Charter, acknowledging the responsibility of member states in combatting terror, ensuring coordination, tailoring counter-narratives and also ensuring compliance with international laws and human rights obligations.
Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin had highlighted during a debate on Countering the Narratives and Ideologies of Terrorism that the social media is being misused by terrorist groups. He also emphasised on the need for vigilant monitoring while also safeguarding freedom of expression.
