Understanding the new terrorist outfits in J&K

Pakistan’s stance vis-a-vis these outfits is that of denial of any involvement and maintaining that these are “homegrown resistance movements”. Pakistan intends to tap into the factor of “plausible deniability” and frame the unrest in J&K as homegrown, which is driven by legitimate resistance to GoI’s handling of J&K affairs, especially the abrogation of Article 370.

Among other reasons, this stance of Pakistan enables it to circumvent accountability, especially while facing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) scrutiny as a “grey list” nation for financing terror till October 2022. On October 21, 2022, the FATF announced taking Pakistan off its “grey list” of countries under “enhanced monitoring”.

Strategic messaging

Interestingly, almost all these nouveau organisations moved away from using regular jihadist tones and opted for secular symbolism to include respective nomenclatures. This was to facilitate the projection of being a resistance movement based on political issues opposing the so-called oppression and illegal occupation in J&K by the GoI. On the social media posts by these outfits, terms like “resistance,” “liberation,” “martyrs,” “anti-fascism”, etc are strategically employed to project legitimacy and to garner local and international sympathy.

As per MHA, PAFF is a proxy organisation of JeM and TRF is that of LeT. However, the available evidence and facts weaned out from Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) appear to contradict this assertion. A comprehensive analysis of data pertaining to narratives, operations and organisational structures of the PAFF and TRF reveals that the majority of PAFF operatives are affiliated with LeT rather than with JeM, and there is substantial collaboration between the two outfits. Both groups share similar rhetoric and use consistent terminology in propaganda. They maintain a strong presence on platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, TamTam, Chirpwire etc, leveraging them for propaganda, radicalisation, and recruitment.

PAFF-LeT connection

On July 27, 2020, TRF posted a video on their Telegram channel introducing PAFF. On multiple occasions, both outfits have mutually commended the attacks perpetrated by the respective cadres. The Z-Morh Tunnel attack in Ganderbal on October 20, 2024, was claimed by TRF. The PAFF congratulated TRF on its success via social media posts. On October 26, 2024, terrorists targeted an army convoy at Botapathri, Gulmarg, killing three soldiers and two porters. PAFF claimed responsibility and was congratulated by TRF on Telegram.

On various social media platforms, there are numerous examples of linkages of PAFF with LeT. Going back a few years, on August 17, 2020, the security forces killed three LeT terrorists responsible for killing two CRPF and one Jammu & Kashmir Police (JAKP) personnel in Kreeri, Baramulla, which was owned by the PAFF. On March 25, 2021, terrorists ambushed a CRPF convoy in Lawaypora, Srinagar killing two personnel. LeT’s involvement was confirmed in the Lawaypora strike by JAKP and the PAFF took responsibility. Similarly, on June 16, 2021, one LeT terrorist named Uzair Ashraf Dar was killed during an encounter with CRPF whom PAFF later confirmed to be their cadre.

The PAFF has been claiming ownership of LeT cadres neutralised by the security forces, which further corroborates the PAFF-LeT links. On April 21, 2022, the security forces neutralised three newly infiltrated cadres including LeT commander Mohammad Yusuf Dar, in Baramulla; on May 2022, three freshly infiltrated LeT operatives were killed by 14 Rashtriya Rifles in Bandipora; on May 12, 2022, two terrorists of LeT who raided an army camp in Rajouri were neutralised; on August 11, 2022, a LeT terrorist named Umar Lone alias Zafar was neutralised in Bandipora. The official statement with regards to affiliations of the neutralised terrorists was with the LeT. However, the PAFF went ahead to claim these “martyrs” as their own.

On July 14, 2021, the security forces killed three LeT terrorists — Ayjaz alias Abu Huraira, Javed Rather and Shahnawaz Gani — in Pulwama. Interestingly, PAFF accepted Javed and Shahnawaz as their cadre but didn’t claim Abu Huraira, a Pakistani national. On multiple occasions, the PAFF has by design avoided claiming deceased Pakistani militants as its cadre and choosing instead to focus on recognising and accepting only the local militants. This approach aligns with the narrative of Pakistan, which positions PAFF as homegrown. These are merely a few instances of LeT’s involvement that were claimed by the PAFF. In addition, as per the OSINT analysis, the main handler for PAFF is Habibullah Malik alias Sajid Jutt, a Pakistan-based LeT commander.

Obfuscation for distraction

The evidence above establishes that the PAFF and the TRF are not independent entities but are interconnected proxies operating under the overarching command of LeT, and not JeM or any other terror groups. Their coordinated actions, shared cadre, and mutual acknowledgement of each other’s attacks confirm their operational and ideological alignment. The deliberate attempts by PAFF and TRF to portray themselves as indigenous groups through selective claims and disinformation are part of a broader strategy to obscure their affiliations with Pakistan. The affiliations of these so-called homegrown outfits are clearly to a common fountainhead and that is Pakistan and its ISI. The claims linking PAFF to terror outfits other than the LeT or presenting it as homegrown political resistance are intended to distract the government’s counter-terror efforts.

Ranjan is a former Indian Army officer with experience operating in counter-terrorism scenarios in J&K. He currently teaches at O P Jindal Global University, Haryana. Vashisth, a Doctoral Candidate at O P Jindal Global University, is researching OSINT methodologies