Latest news with #OGWs
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
J&K: Gunfight underway in Kishtwar district
Jammu: A gunfight started on Sunday between the security forces and the terrorists in J&K's Kishtwar district. Officials said that an encounter started between the security forces and the terrorists during a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) in the Khankoo forest area of Kishtwar district. 'The encounter started during a CASO launched by the army and police in the Khankoo forest, located between Dachhan and Nagseni, following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area,' the official said. He said that as the security forces closed in on the hiding terrorists, the terrorists fired, triggering an encounter which lasted for a short duration. 'Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area. The search operation is ongoing to track the terrorists,' officials said. Meanwhile, Nagrota headquartered White Knight corps of the army said on X, 'Based on specific inputs, an operation was launched by the Indian Army in the Hadal Gal area of Kishtwar Sector. Contact has been established with terrorists. The operation is currently in progress.' Security forces have been carrying on aggressive operations against the terrorists, their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and their sympathisers to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terror in J&K. The aggressive pursuit of the terrorists started after the April 22 attack on civilians by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. Twenty-six civilians, including 25 tourists and a local, were killed in that terrorist attack. The attack outraged the entire country. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gave a free hand to the armed forces to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. Operation Sindoor was launched by the armed forces in which terror infrastructure was destroyed by carrying out attacks deep inside Pakistan, including Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur and Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Nine terror infrastructures were destroyed in the attack, and in a subsequent escalation, facilities of the Pakistan army were destroyed.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Kashmir Cops Bust Pakistan-Backed Cyber Jihad Cell, Nab Top Jaish Handler In Digital Raid
Last Updated: The crackdown exposed a growing pattern of cyber-radicalisation and psychological warfare aimed at recruiting vulnerable Kashmiri youth into terror networks In a major breakthrough in the fight against cross-border terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir Police, in collaboration with Indian intelligence, have neutralised a sophisticated digital terror module run by Pakistan-based operatives. The crackdown, led by Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), exposed a growing pattern of cyber-radicalisation and psychological warfare aimed at recruiting vulnerable Kashmiri youth into terror networks, CNN-News18 has learnt. The latest bust uncovered the operations of top Jaish-e-Mohammad handler Abdullah Ghazi, alias Shaukat Ali, who was running a fully functional digital recruitment cell from a three-storey safehouse in Pakistan. Ghazi had reportedly built an entire recruitment and radicalisation ecosystem online—right from identifying susceptible youth to indoctrinating, arming, and assigning them operational tasks. Indian agencies tracked him down using geo-coordinates from encrypted app servers, successfully bypassing several layers of digital camouflage. The breakthrough came as a result of deep packet inspection, protocol bypass, and advanced geo-tracking, enabled by Kashmir Police's next-gen digital surveillance grid. This marks the fifth major digital module dismantled by CIK, following operations against other handlers code-named Ghazi Hamas, Sumama, Ghazi Baba, Ilyas, and Babar. With dwindling local recruitment, Pakistan-based terror outfits have turned increasingly to 'Cyber Jihad"—a strategy blending religious distortion, emotional manipulation, and misinformation to radicalise youth online. Terror commanders are using virtual identities, proxy numbers (including Indian ones), and encrypted messaging apps to mask their activities. Operatives begin contact over public platforms before shifting conversations to encrypted apps for mission assignments, including surveillance, arms transport, and target selection. OGWs and the Ground Game On-ground Overground Workers (OGWs), in coordination with online recruiters, identify and nurture vulnerable youth by feeding them anti-India propaganda and distorted religious justifications for jihad. Recruiters often lure them with promises of Jannat (paradise), financial rewards, and a sense of purpose, slowly indoctrinating them into operational roles, top CIK sources told CNN-News18. However, this strategy has hit a major roadblock with the latest crackdown. Intelligence sources say the early neutralisation of Ghazi's cell has prevented dozens of young lives from slipping into the abyss of terrorism. A Win for Counter-Intelligence Officials emphasise that these pre-emptive operations are not just counter-terror victories, but also humanitarian ones. Each disrupted cell represents a set of futures rescued—from prison, from violence, from death. As digital warfare becomes the new frontier in terrorism, J&K Police's tech-led countermeasures are emerging as a potent shield against the manipulation of Kashmir's youth—turning the tide in favour of peace and stability in the region. view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 15:56 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
6 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
From OGWs to UAVs: Kashmir Under Watch As Drones Replace Terror Operatives In Pakistan, ISI's New Game Plan
A recent intelligence report has revealed that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has significantly altered its tactics in Jammu and Kashmir, replacing traditional Overground Workers (OGWs) with advanced drone-based operations to support terrorism. This shift is seen as a direct response to the Indian security forces' sustained crackdown on the human terror network since 2020. OGWs Replaced By Drones The arrest of nearly 1,000 OGWs by Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020 has severely weakened Pakistan's human intelligence and logistics network in the region. In response, ISI and terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have adopted drone technology to conduct surveillance, smuggle weapons, and support infiltration. OGW Tasks Reduced Traditionally, OGWs were responsible for surveillance, smuggling arms, and local coordination. Now, drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and night vision handle up to 80% of these tasks, significantly reducing the need for human handlers. OGWs have been relegated to limited roles, mainly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Weapon Drops Drones like DJI Mavic 3, Phantom 4, and modified Chinese Wing Loong II have been deployed to monitor Indian border posts in Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Kupwara. They stream live video to handlers in PoK. Armed drones carrying 5–20 kg payloads frequently drop AK-47s, grenades, IEDs, and narcotics across the border. Between 2023 and 2025, over 200 such consignments were intercepted in Punjab and Jammu. Infiltration & Reconnaissance Drones are now being used to guide small terror groups (3–5 operatives) to safely cross the Line of Control (LoC) by avoiding Indian Army patrols using GPS and real-time imaging. Intelligence inputs confirm drone use in mapping high-altitude infiltration routes, including during an ISI meeting in Muzaffarabad in May 2025. PoK-Based Workshops The drones used include modified commercial models costing $1,000–2,000 with extended-range batteries and encrypted communication, as well as military-grade UAVs like the Wing Loong II (range: 1,500 km) and possibly Bayraktar TB2s. Intelligence suggests Pakistan-based workshops, supported by ISI, are producing 3D-printed drones costing $500–1,500, used for smuggling and surveillance. Over 1,000 drone flights were recorded along the international border and LoC in 2024–2025 alone. Challenges Remain In 2024, Punjab Police and BSF intercepted 75 drones, recovering 150 kg of heroin, 50 AK-47s, and 200 grenades. In June 2025, a drone carrying 5 kg of RDX was intercepted in Rajouri. India has since deployed an anti-drone system using radar, RF jammers, and lasers, with around 70% effectiveness. However, drones flying under 100 meters or using thermal cloaking reduce detection rates by up to 40%. Infiltration Surge According to intelligence, drone-supported infiltration has increased by 20% in 2025, with 50–60 terrorists entering Jammu and Kashmir. These drones enable terrorists to operate in remote areas like Pir Panjal and Shamsabari forests for weeks without support, as seen in recent encounters in Kishtwar and Rajouri. Terrorists are being trained in drone operations in PoK-based camps in Kotli and Rawalkot, with parts reportedly sourced from China. Despite mounting evidence, Pakistan continues to deny involvement, blaming 'non-state actors' for drone-based activities. Strategic Implications Experts warn that drones have become a cost-effective, low-risk alternative to human operatives. The rugged terrain, forest cover, and altitude advantages of the region give drones an upper hand, making it harder for security forces to intercept every flight. With over 20 drone launch sites near the LoC in PoK, the threat is evolving into a persistent, high-tech security challenge for India.
News18
16-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pahalgam Probe: Terrorists Fired In Air While Fleeing; ISI Likely Used New Module For Secrecy
Last Updated: A new witness has reportedly told NIA that he was asked to recite the Kalma and was possibly spared because his accent confirmed he was a local. The NIA investigation into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is gaining momentum. Following the custodial interrogation of two harbourers, Parvaiz Ahmed and Bashir Ahmad, the NIA has now identified a local witness who saw the terrorists while they were escaping. 'The terrorists fired in the air, possibly to deter anyone from helping. This is when the witness encountered them," a senior security official told CNN-News18. According to officials, the NIA has recovered empty cartridges from the location where the firing took place, supporting the witness's account. The witness stated that he was asked to recite the Kalma and was possibly spared because his accent confirmed he was a local. Many survivors have reported that the terrorists used Kalma recitation for religious profiling before killing 26 people in Baisaran. Officials have corroborated the testimonies of the witness and the harbourers, successfully identifying the terrorists. One of the three has been identified as Hashim Musa, a former Pakistani army regular. Musa is suspected of masterminding the Sonmarg Z Modh tunnel attack, which resulted in the deaths of six labourers and a doctor. 'The other two have no previous records and appear to have infiltrated recently for the Pahalgam attack," an intelligence agency official stated. Agencies have also found no prior records for the harbourers, Parvaiz Ahmed and Bashir Ahmad, suspecting that this was a deliberate ISI strategy to create a new module with minimal involvement of local Kashmiri terrorists or known Over Ground Workers (OGWs). Officials believe this was done to maintain top-level secrecy. Initially, it was suspected that three to five terrorists carried out the Baisaran Valley attack, but so far, the NIA has identified three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, all Pakistani nationals. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha hands over job letters to kin of terror victims
Horrific tales of the next of kin who were given jobs emerged, ironically, on a date opposition parties in the UT want designated 'Martyrs' Day' (Picture credit: ANI) BARAMULLA: As the J&K government dismantles the terror ecosystem by going after terrorists and overground workers (OGWs), it has embarked on a parallel journey to honour, compensate and reward families destroyed by terrorists with wanton killings of their kin, only because they stood up to them or refused to join or help them. J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday distributed the first batch of job appointment letters to the next-of-kin (NOK) of around 50 families who had seen terrorists brutally snuff the life out of their father, mother, brother or sister, in many cases their sole breadwinner, since the onset of terrorism in J&K. The accounts of NOKs of the terror-hit families who were given job letters by the LG - ironically, coinciding with J&K Martyrs' Day - are horrific. One of them was Abida Bano's family from Kupwara. Abida, who was just 15 years old, was killed in firing by terrorists on July 22, 2003, because her family refused to open the door when they had come looking for information. At the function was also Raja Begum from Kupwara who had seen her husband and three children gunned down by terrorists in 1999 only because the family believed in staying away from conflict. There were also families of three friends - Haseeb Khan, 20, Irfan Sheikh, 22 and Mohd Asgar Sheikh, 24 - who were killed by LeT terrorists at point blank range in Baramulla in 2018 after they were used as pawns in a war they never joined. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like '이것' 부족하면 운동 소용없다.. 갱년기 살찐 진짜 이유 워킹맘 로즈 더 알아보기 Undo For years, NOKs had to face social isolation and economic hardship, running from pillar to post to get compensation or a job due to them. In many cases, police did not even register an FIR; terrorists forced some to vacate their properties. Ironically, the very terrorists who destroyed these families were hailed as freedom fighters with local politicians attending their mass funerals until five to six years back. Even terror OGWs were appointed by past dispensations to posts in the J&K administration and police. Sheetal Sen, whose brother Hansraj was gunned down by terrorists in Kishtwar in 2001, told TOI, "Since then I have run from pillar to post for a job. I was turned away each time asking to get some document or the other. But LG Manoj Sinha acknowledged our hardship and has given me a job in health department." The latest scheme to assist and facilitate NOKs of terror victims, finalised by Sinha in consultation with the UT administration and police, offers four benefits focused on 'justice and jobs'. These include jobs or self-employment avenues to NOK; financial compensation due to them under MHA guidelines; filing and pursuing police FIRs where justice was denied; restoration of properties taken away from these families by the terrorists. NOKs will be handheld by the J&K administration to start self-employment ventures with PM Mudra loans that now have a Rs 20 lakh limit.
