Terror tactics go underground in J&K’

In a worrying shift, terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir are moving from hiding in local houses to building sophisticated underground bunkers deep inside forests and on high ridges. Security officials say this change comes as local support for militants weakens, forcing them to find more secure and hidden shelters.

Recent operations in Kulgam and Shopian districts revealed these bunkers, which are often camouflaged with earth and vegetation. Troops discovered trenches stocked with weapons, ammunition, rations, and cooking equipment. Some hideouts even had air supply systems, showing careful planning and long-term habitation. These underground shelters allow militants to evade detection while remaining ready for attacks directed from across the border.

Retired military and police officials note that this tactic is similar to strategies used in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the current challenge is worsened by the near-absence of human intelligence from local communities. Militants now avoid towns and villages, assuming residents could be informers. This makes it harder for security forces to locate them using traditional methods.

To counter this, the Army and security agencies are turning to technology. Ground-penetrating radar-equipped drones, seismic sensors, and aerial surveillance are being deployed to detect underground voids and structural changes in the terrain. These tools, combined with improved intelligence networks, aim to locate and neutralize bunkers that are often hidden in remote forests, riverbanks, and orchards.

In previous years, underground hideouts were mainly in residential areas of Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian, but the current wave shows militants adapting to harsher terrain. Examples include iron bunkers in riverbeds, hidden rooms under earth mounds, and covered chambers camouflaged with sheets and soil. Each new discovery demonstrates how militants are increasingly sophisticated in avoiding detection while maintaining operational capability.

Security experts stress that understanding and countering this underground strategy is crucial for future anti-terror operations. It highlights a larger reality: militants are evolving, and counter-terror measures must keep pace with new methods of concealment, blending field intelligence with advanced technology to ensure safety and security in the region.