Six Months After Operation Sindoor, LeT and JeM Mobilise for New Attacks in Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar/New Delhi: Six months after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, fresh intelligence suggests Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are preparing for a new wave of coordinated strikes in Jammu and Kashmir.

The intelligence dossier accessed by security agencies indicates a significant escalation in cross-border terror activity since September. Reports reveal that multiple LeT and JeM units have infiltrated the Union Territory through established Line of Control (LoC) routes, with logistical and operational support from Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

A LeT unit, reportedly led by operative Shamsher, has been using drones for aerial reconnaissance to identify vulnerable gaps along the LoC, raising concerns about potential fidayeen-style assaults or weapon drops in the near future. Simultaneously, Pakistan’s Border Action Teams (BATs), composed of ex-SSG soldiers and trained militants, have been redeployed across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), signaling a possible increase in cross-border attacks on Indian security positions.

High-level meetings in PoK during October 2025 reportedly included senior members of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hizbul Mujahideen, and ISI officials. Intercepted communications suggest these gatherings focused on reviving dormant terror cells, issuing stipends to ex-commanders, and directing groups to carry out retaliatory operations against Indian forces. Intelligence also indicates a deliberate effort to rebuild local sympathizer networks and human intelligence channels within the Kashmir Valley, which had been largely dismantled after earlier counter-terror campaigns.

Analysts warn that narco-terror and arms smuggling routes are being expanded to finance these activities, mirroring patterns observed in Punjab and Rajasthan earlier this year. The renewed activity comes despite a fragile calm in Jammu and Kashmir, where local elections and a gradual return of tourism have been seen as signs of normalcy. Security agencies caution that Pakistan-backed terror elements aim to disrupt this stability, taking advantage of Islamabad’s ongoing political and economic crises.

New Delhi officials describe the intelligence as a “critical warning.” The Indian Army and intelligence agencies are reported to be on heightened alert, particularly across northern command sectors. Experts suggest that if Pakistan continues its campaign to “export terror,” Operation Sindoor could be reactivated in full scale.

These developments coincide with India conducting its largest-ever Trishul Tri-service exercise along the western borders in Gujarat and Rajasthan. With winter approaching, traditionally a low-infiltration period, analysts caution that the renewed terror mobilization could mark the start of a challenging winter security environment in Jammu and Kashmir, testing India’s operational readiness once again.