Pahalgam Attack Explained By Defence Expert Who Served In Kashmir 20 Years Ago

The scale and precision of the Pahalgam terror attack - in which three terrorists linked to an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba murdered 26 people in a matter of minutes, then disappeared into the forest - emphasises the role Pak's security agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, plays in equipping, training, and arming jihadis, defence expert Major General Yash Mor (retd) told NDTV.

That the establishment in Pakistan arms, trains, and otherwise supports terrorists acting against India is not an unknown factor; New Delhi has repeatedly warned the global community of state-sponsored terrorism - at civilian and military targets - from across the border.

Indeed, in the hours after the attack there were whispers that Pak-based terror agencies had scouted potential targets in parts of J&K, including Pahalgam, in the first week of April.

But the devastation in Pahalgam, and the fact that 24 hours later (at the time of publication) there has been no contact with the terrorists, underscores the extent of battlefield awareness, endurance and weapons training, and logistical support at the disposal of the terrorists.

And the finger points towards Pakistan.

'Military Training, Planning...'

"All this is not possible unless they have military training... and have equipment supplied by military personnel," the Major General, who served in Kashmir 20 years ago, told NDTV.

Major General Mor told NDTV that even when he was in the field, two decades ago, the quality of comms equipment available to terrorists was surprisingly high. And that quality has only increased since, he indicated, "And now, I believe, it is something that can't even be hacked."

"I have seen many groups that are ragtag... but these people, their attack and equipment, all points to Pak's ISI. Without them you can't even get some of the equipment since most is imported. And then, to bring it all the way to south Kashmir, which is not even near the border, and escape detection for so long, requires solid logistics support and good strategic planning."

The Resistance Front?

Meanwhile, the attack itself has been claimed by The Resistance Front, a Lashkar proxy.

But the name, he insists, is not important. "They keep changing their names to avoid sanctions, to avoid detection. If one group becomes too known they come up with different names, especially those, like 'Resistance Front' that strike a chord with Western audiences."

Sketches of three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.

What is important, though, he stressed, is the sophistication of equipment, particularly radio sets; weapons and battlefield training; and levels of physical fitness, which are crucial to carry large packs over mountainous terrain at speed to avoid detection, before or after an attack.

Pak Army Regulars?

And that brought up the question - were these attackers, or any of the others who have killed Indians in the past, drawn directly from the Pakistan Army? Were they Pak Army regulars?

"Very difficult to say... I don't think Pakistan will take that chance, but they may be people who have left the service or paramilitary commando candidates drawn aside and given special training. It could even be a selection of jihadis... but they all receive training."

"You need tremendous endurance and physical fitness, you have to be trained to operate radios and weapons systems, you have to be trained to plan and coordinate attacks. This can't be done in a couple of days or months, and this can't be done without specialist military help."

On India's War On Terror

The Pahalgam attack has shocked the nation. It has shocked the world, drawing condemnation from Russia and China, as well as the US, Israel, and many European nations.

The Kashmir narrative since the government scrapped Article 370 in August 2019 has been a positive one; there has been development, employment, and infrastructure creation.

But the spectre of terrorism and terrorist activities continued - through last year, for example, there were a string of attacks on civilians and migrant workers. Many of these, though, were classified as 'lone wolf' strikes - i.e., unconnected, one-off attacks by terrorist sleeper cells.

However, the last time there was a coordinated, large-scale attack like this was February 2019, when 40 soldiers from the CRPF, or Central Reserve Police Force, were slaughtered in Pulwama.

Scenes from the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019.

So does the Pahalgam attack signal a step back in the fight against terrorism in J&K?

"I wouldn't say we are back to square one... what I will say, and said after Pulwama and Uri and other incidents, is that we need to carry out a thorough investigation... to fix responsibility."

And that was a key part of Major General Mor's message on Pahalgam - that as much as the government must rely on technology, it needs also to focus on 'human intelligence', on building a network of informants who can deliver accurate information about terrorist movements.

'Human Intelligence'

"We have the best intel agencies here - the Intelligence Bureau and military intelligence, for example, and I'm telling you I've seen J&K Police also do fantastic work. But the most important thing we are missing... something close to my heart... is human intelligence."

A renewed focus on HUMINT, or human intelligence, which is basically gathering information through person-to-person contacts, spies, and other forms of espionage, and even old-fashioned interviews, was flagged by the government in August last year.

Back then the government said it was refining the security matrix in J&K to counter terrorists switching to encrypted messaging apps for communication. It was time, sources told NDTV then, to reinforce the HUMINT network in Kashmir to complement tech-based info mining.

Major General Mor emphasised the importance of that shift, telling NDTV, "Technology gives limited support... it is human intelligence that will win this war." However, he also offered a cautionary note, and said it takes time to cultivate sources and win their trust.

"For this, you need to be close to the people. The centre of gravity in any situation like this is the local people... but it takes time to get such intel. It takes six months to create one good source."

And once data is gathered, the Major General highlighted the need to be "faster than these guys", meaning rapid troop movement, once there is actionable intel, is needed to win the war.