The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, executed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives Asif Fauji (alias Moosa), Suleman Shah (alias Yunus), and Abu Talha (alias Asif), with logistical assistance from local collaborators Adil Guree from Anantnag and Aasif Shaikh from Sopore, serves as a stark reminder that terrorism in the 21st century is no longer an isolated phenomenon. It is transnational, technologically sophisticated, and often state-supported. Such incidents demand that India — and other nations battling the scourge of cross-border terrorism — urgently rethink and restructure their counterterrorism strategies. Neutralizing this evolving threat landscape requires an integrated approach that combines domestic resilience, international strategic partnerships, high-technology utilization, financial warfare, and psychological operations.
A crucial first step is the immediate creation of a layered domestic security architecture. India must operationalize a fully empowered National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC 2.0) that integrates the intelligence capabilities of RAW, IB, NTRO, NIA, military intelligence, and state police forces into a unified strategic command. The traditional fragmentation of intelligence and operational responsibilities has proven ineffective against networked and agile terrorist groups. Intelligence fusion must become seamless and real-time, with quick reaction forces placed on permanent standby, driven by predictive analysis rather than reactive deployment. Countries facing similar insurgent threats — such as Egypt in the Sinai, Kenya in the Lamu region, and Nigeria in the Sahel — must similarly prioritize building integrated national counterterrorism hubs.
Moreover, the new reality demands the creation of specialized, region-specific special operations units. For India, this implies raising Kashmir Theatre Special Forces: highly trained, mobile, mountain-warfare- and urban-combat-capable units that can preempt, neutralize, and dominate terror operations in volatile areas. Other nations must adapt similar models. These special forces must operate with real-time intelligence backing and the authority to conduct both independent and coordinated joint operations. They must be equipped to execute search-and-destroy missions in dense terrains, counter urban hostage scenarios, and preempt cross-border infiltration attempts.
Simultaneously, the next wave of security must be AI-driven. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics must be embedded into the surveillance and operational grids. AI can power predictive intelligence on infiltration attempts, track suspicious financial transactions, monitor public sentiment trends, and provide early warning of radicalization patterns. India must accelerate the deployment of AI-enhanced smart fences along the Line of Control, deploy drone swarms equipped with thermal and motion detection capabilities, and implement AI-based urban monitoring systems. Countries like Israel and the United States have already made significant advancements in these domains, and India must actively pursue technology-sharing agreements to fast-track its capabilities.
Some Gaps in India Framework-Despite notable improvements over the years, India’s intelligence network continues to suffer from several critical gaps that undermine national security efforts. Chief among these is the lack of seamless coordination between central agencies like RAW, IB, NTRO, and state-level intelligence wings, leading to duplication, turf wars, and delayed responses. Real-time intelligence fusion and predictive analysis remain weak, with most operations being reactive rather than anticipatory. The over-reliance on human intelligence (HUMINT) without adequate integration of technical intelligence (TECHINT), cyber intelligence, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) further handicaps timely threat detection. Moreover, the intelligence-sharing mechanisms with state police forces are inconsistent, creating operational silos that terrorists exploit. India’s surveillance and interception capabilities also lag behind in rural, border, and maritime areas due to outdated technologies and manpower shortages. Institutional issues such as political interference, inadequate legislative backing for intelligence reforms, limited accountability frameworks, and poor investment in counterintelligence further erode operational effectiveness. In a fast-evolving threat environment marked by AI-driven cyberterrorism, drone-enabled infiltration, and hybrid warfare tactics, these structural deficiencies make it imperative for India to undertake a sweeping modernization and integration of its intelligence architecture.
Terrorism, however, is not sustained only by weapons; it is fueled by radical ideology. A critical priority must be neutralizing the internal radicalization ecosystem. The internet and encrypted platforms have become breeding grounds for violent extremism, where recruitment, indoctrination, and command dissemination occur unchecked. States must develop cyber command structures that use AI to monitor, map, and dismantle digital radicalization cells. India’s experience with online radicalization in Kashmir must be tackled proactively, combining cyber monitoring with community outreach programs. Engagement with moderate clerics, educational leaders, and civil society actors can build grassroots resilience against extremist narratives. Saudi Arabia’s de-radicalization centers, Indonesia’s community-based rehabilitation models, and India’s own soft measures in the Kashmir Valley provide effective templates to adapt and expand.
Yet domestic action, no matter how robust, is insufficient in an interconnected world. Global terrorism requires a global counterterrorism alliance based on mutual strategic inputs, intelligence sharing, operational cooperation, and joint threat neutralization. India must deepen its strategic counterterrorism alliances with key partners. With the United States, the cooperation must extend beyond existing agreements like COMCASA and BECA. Real-time intelligence exchanges, satellite-based surveillance over critical infiltration sectors, and cyber threat analysis collaboration must be operationalized. Joint Special Forces exercises such as Vajra Prahar must evolve into counterinsurgency-specific drills, simulating Kashmir-like environments to develop muscle memory for rapid response.
Similarly, Israel remains a critical partner in counterterrorism technology, intelligence sharing, and radicalization management. India must tap into Israel’s advanced counter-radicalization techniques, especially their use of psychological operations and strategic communication to win the information war against extremists. Co-development of AI-based border monitoring, anti-tunnel detection systems, and directed-energy anti-drone systems must be prioritized. France, having faced brutal urban terrorism during the Bataclan and Nice attacks, offers valuable expertise in urban counterterrorism operations, critical infrastructure protection, and multi-agency response frameworks. India should adapt French urban CT doctrines to safeguard public spaces, tourism hubs, religious places, and soft targets in volatile regions.
Strategic partnerships must also extend eastward. Australia and Japan, both Quad partners, can assist in maritime domain awareness to block terror financing via illegal maritime routes. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, key Gulf allies, have transformed into proactive counterterrorism players. India must enhance financial intelligence-sharing agreements with these nations to choke terror financing routed through hawala networks and cryptocurrency channels. Real-time monitoring of suspicious financial flows must be instituted through joint financial action taskforces.
At the operational level, the creation of International Counterterrorism Fusion Cells is necessary. These hubs, modeled after U.S. Fusion Centers, would house Indian, American, Israeli, French, Emirati, and Australian officers, enabling real-time collaborative intelligence processing, targeting, and actionable response planning. Such cells would allow the seamless tracking of transnational terrorist movements and dismantle sleeper cells before they execute attacks.
An additional layer of readiness can be achieved through Operational Cooperation Cells: small elite mixed teams of Indian and partner-nation special forces, kept on permanent standby for cross-border or internal rapid neutralization operations in case high-value actionable intelligence emerges. Such cells would mirror the collaboration seen in operations like Neptune Spear, which eliminated Osama Bin Laden.
Border management must also leap into the future. India’s Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) is a step forward, but smart borders must become the new norm — integrating motion sensors, AI-based facial recognition, night vision surveillance, and satellite-fed intelligence grids. Partnering with Israeli and American firms to expand CIBMS’ scale and efficiency would enable India to create impermeable borders against infiltration and smuggling.
The financial lifeblood of terrorism must also be decisively cut. Strengthening the capabilities of India’s NIA and Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) to track, seize, and dismantle terror-linked assets is crucial. Globally, India must continue leveraging the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) platform to maintain pressure on nations that sponsor terror. Pakistan’s grey-listing was a diplomatic victory but must be sustained until verifiable systemic change is achieved.
Finally, the battle must also be waged on the psychological front. Strategic communication, or narrative warfare, is the new frontline. India and allied nations must expose, globally and consistently, the civilian cost of terrorism, the economic destruction caused by insurgency, and the duplicity of state sponsors like Pakistan. Simultaneously, governments must publicize the success stories of deradicalized youth, the revival of normalcy in conflict-prone areas, and the deep cultural resilience of communities resisting radicalization. Winning the information war will delegitimize the terrorist cause in the eyes of their potential recruits and supporters.
The Pahalgam attack should not be treated merely as another tragedy. It must become a catalyst for a doctrinal transformation — for India and for every democracy threatened by asymmetric warfare. The new doctrine must stand on four solid pillars: Domestic Security Reinvention through unified intelligence and predictive surveillance; Strategic International Cooperation through intelligence fusion, joint operations, and technology co-development; Financial Warfare targeting the underground financial networks that sustain terror; and Psychological Warfare that wins hearts, minds, and narratives at the global stage.
The global message must be clear: democracies will not merely defend against terror; they will pre-empt it, they will dominate the operational space, and they will dismantle the very ecosystem that sustains violence.
Prof. Dr. Nishakant Ojha — Global Counterterrorism Authority with Operational Expertise Across the Middle East, South Asia, and Terrorism-Affected Nations
