Srinagar, 20 Oct

In a concerning shift in tactics, Pakistan's intelligence agency and terror groups are trying to ramp up recruitment efforts in Jammu and Kashmir through digital platforms, as direct interactions become increasingly difficult due to heightened security measures, officials said on Sunday.

These groups are now primarily using social media platforms and messaging apps such as X, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram to target vulnerable youth, according to an official.

They are using fake profiles and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to evade detection.

Once identified, these individuals are drawn into private groups where they are exposed to manipulative content, including fabricated videos depicting atrocities allegedly committed by security forces, the officials said.

In a troubling development, the officials said, the potential recruits are now being introduced to literature by Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian extremist whose ideologies have significantly influenced radical Islamist organisations including Al-Qaeda.

New recruits undergo virtual training via accessible online resources, including YouTube, before being assigned operational tasks within the region.

Officials have highlighted a marked increase in recruitment and indoctrination activities via social media, particularly in South Kashmir.

To counteract these threats, security agencies have established social media monitoring units that track potential recruits and neutralise threats in real time.

Some individuals posing as extreme nationalists have been identified as having affiliations with radical groups, including the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, they said.

Moreover, terrorists are increasingly leveraging encrypted messaging platforms and apps such as Telegram and Mastodon, which are already banned in certain districts like Rajouri and Poonch, for covert communication and operational coordination, they said.

The United Nations has repeatedly underscored the effectiveness of terrorist groups in leveraging propaganda for various nefarious purposes, including recruitment and incitement to violence. -PTI