Terror’s changing face, India’s counter-terror strategy
.Key Details
- Changing nature of terrorism: Terrorism has shifted from large organisations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS to smaller autonomous groups, lone-wolf attacks and technology-driven operations.
- New technologies: Drones, cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used by terrorist organisations and hostile states.
- India’s strategic shift: India has moved from a largely reactive and restrained approach to a proactive strategy against cross-border terrorism.
- Cross-border terrorism: Pakistan-based groups have remained a major source of terrorism affecting India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Surgical strikes: The 2016 strikes across the LoC marked a major shift towards imposing direct costs on terrorist infrastructure.
- Balakot: The 2019 Balakot operation demonstrated India’s willingness to cross the international border to target a terrorist facility.
- Pahalgam attack: The April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack further hardened India’s counter-terrorism posture.
- Operation Sindoor: India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2026, targeting the Pakistan-based terrorist network and associated military infrastructure.
- PRAHAAR: India unveiled its first comprehensive National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy in February 2026.
Evolution of Terrorism
- Earlier model: Terrorism was dominated by large organisations operating under centralised leadership.
- Al-Qaeda and ISIS: These organisations represented the earlier model of hierarchical and territorially ambitious terrorist networks.
- Fragmentation: Terrorist organisations have increasingly fragmented into smaller, autonomous entities.
- Lone-wolf terrorism: Individuals inspired or radicalised by extremist ideology can conduct attacks without direct organisational involvement.
- Technology-enabled terrorism: Terrorists increasingly exploit drones, cyber tools, encrypted communication and artificial intelligence.
- State involvement: Technology is also being used by states to support or facilitate terrorist and asymmetric operations.
- Decentralisation: The dispersed nature of modern terrorism makes intelligence gathering and attribution more difficult.
- Adaptability: Counter-terrorism agencies must continuously adapt to changing technologies, organisational structures and methods of radicalisation.
India’s Earlier Counter-Terrorism Approach
- Kashmir terrorism: Cross-border terrorism became a major security challenge for India from the early 1990s.
- Initial restraint: India largely adopted a defensive and reactive approach, relying heavily on diplomatic pressure.
- IC-814 hijacking: The 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 exposed vulnerabilities in India’s counter-terrorism preparedness.
- Parliament attack: The December 2001 attack on Parliament led to a major military mobilisation under Operation Parakram.
- Nuclear backdrop: The presence of nuclear weapons in India and Pakistan complicated the possibility of direct military retaliation.
- 26/11 Mumbai attacks: The 2008 Mumbai attacks exposed the limitations of India’s existing response mechanisms.
- Cost of restraint: Repeated terrorist attacks without direct retaliation created concerns about deterrence and credibility.
Shift Towards Proactive Counter-Terrorism
- Change after 2014: India adopted a more assertive counter-terrorism posture after a change in government at the Centre.
- 2016 surgical strikes: Following the Uri terror attack, India conducted surgical strikes against terrorist launch pads across the LoC.
- Strategic signalling: The operation communicated that cross-border terrorism would attract direct costs.
- 2019 Balakot strike: After the Pulwama terror attack, the Indian Air Force targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed facility at Balakot.
- Crossing Pakistani airspace: The operation demonstrated India’s willingness to cross the international boundary to strike terrorist targets.
- Deterrence: Such actions aimed to alter Pakistan’s calculation regarding the use of terrorist proxies.
- Operation Sindoor: Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2026.
- Targeting terrorist infrastructure: The operation reportedly targeted the heart of Pakistan-based terrorist networks and destroyed key leadership and military assets.
- New doctrine: India has increasingly treated state-backed cross-border terrorism as an act of war rather than merely a law-and-order challenge.
India’s Present Counter-Terrorism Strategy
- Four-fold approach: India’s current strategy emphasises continued counter-terror operations, pre-emptive action, de-radicalisation and disruption of terrorist financing.
- Elimination of terror networks: Security forces must continue dismantling terrorist organisations and their support structures.
- Pre-emptive action: India seeks to prevent terrorist attacks by targeting potential threats before they materialise.
- LoC security: Intelligence and surveillance along the Line of Control remain crucial for preventing infiltration.
- Terror launch pads: Identification and targeting of terrorist launch pads can disrupt infiltration and attack planning.
- De-radicalisation: Counter-terrorism must address the ideological recruitment of vulnerable young people.
- Terror financing: Disrupting financial networks is essential to weaken the operational capabilities of terrorist organisations.
- International cooperation: Intelligence sharing and coordinated action with friendly countries are increasingly important.
PRAHAAR: National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy
- Introduction: India unveiled PRAHAAR, its first comprehensive National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, on February 23, 2026.
- Whole-of-government approach: It seeks coordinated action across government agencies.
- Whole-of-society approach: Counter-terrorism also requires cooperation with communities and civil society.
- Prevention: The strategy focuses on preventing terrorist activities before attacks occur.
- Response: It seeks to improve the effectiveness of state responses to terrorist incidents.
- Radicalisation: De-radicalisation is identified as an important component of long-term counter-terrorism.
- Institutional coordination: Effective intelligence and coordination among security agencies are essential.
- Strategic framework: PRAHAAR attempts to provide a comprehensive policy framework instead of relying only on ad hoc responses.
Emerging Technology and Terrorism
- Drones: Terrorist groups can use drones for surveillance, weapon delivery and attacks on strategic targets.
- Cyber capabilities: Cyberattacks can target critical infrastructure, financial systems and government networks.
- Artificial intelligence: AI can facilitate propaganda, recruitment, deepfakes, automated surveillance and operational planning.
- Low-cost threats: Modern technology enables relatively small groups to create disproportionate security risks.
- Lone-wolf attacks: Online radicalisation and digital propaganda can enable individuals to act independently.
- Intelligence challenge: Security agencies need advanced technological capabilities to detect and prevent emerging threats.
- Counter-technology: India must invest in counter-drone systems, cyber defence, AI-enabled intelligence and digital forensics.
Major Challenges
- Cross-border infiltration: Terrorist groups may continue attempting infiltration across the LoC.
- Terrorist sanctuaries: The existence of safe havens outside India complicates counter-terrorism operations.
- Radicalisation: Online platforms can facilitate extremist propaganda and recruitment.
- Technology proliferation: Cheap drones and sophisticated digital tools can rapidly spread among non-state actors.
- Terror financing: Terror networks can exploit formal and informal financial channels.
- Intelligence coordination: Fragmented information among agencies can reduce the effectiveness of preventive action.
- Civil liberties: Counter-terrorism measures must balance national security with constitutional rights and due process.
- International cooperation: Terrorism requires sustained cooperation because terrorist networks operate across national borders.
India’s Four-Fold Response
- Continue counter-terror operations: Security forces should eliminate remaining terrorist networks and their infrastructure.
- Pre-emptive military action: Potential terrorist threats should be neutralised before they mature into attacks.
- De-radicalisation: Preventing recruitment requires community engagement, education and counter-narratives.
- Terror-financing disruption: Financial channels supporting terrorist organisations must be systematically targeted.
- Intelligence integration: Agencies should strengthen real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated operations.
- Border management: Surveillance, technology and physical infrastructure should be strengthened along vulnerable borders.
- International cooperation: India should deepen intelligence, financial and diplomatic cooperation with friendly countries.
- Technological preparedness: Counter-terrorism institutions must keep pace with drones, cyber threats and AI.
International Dimension
- Global nature of terrorism: Terrorist networks increasingly operate through transnational ideological, financial and technological connections.
- UN cooperation: International coordination remains necessary to combat terrorism and terrorist financing.
- State sponsorship: Terrorism supported or facilitated by states presents a more complex security challenge.
- Double standards: India has repeatedly stressed the need for consistent international action against terrorism regardless of political considerations.
- Global consensus: The 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi included a paragraph on the Pahalgam terror attack, reflecting broader international concern over terrorism.
- Regional cooperation: Intelligence sharing and coordinated action among South Asian and other regional countries are essential.
Way Forward
- Strengthen intelligence: Improve human intelligence, technical intelligence and inter-agency information sharing.
- Secure borders: Combine physical barriers, surveillance technology, drones and integrated border management.
- Counter radicalisation: Develop community-based programmes and credible counter-narratives.
- Target terror financing: Strengthen financial intelligence and enforcement against illicit funding networks.
- Counter emerging technologies: Develop capabilities against drone, cyber and AI-enabled threats.
- Improve international cooperation: Strengthen intelligence, extradition, financial and diplomatic cooperation.
- Maintain proportionality: Counter-terrorism measures should remain consistent with constitutional safeguards and rule of law.
- Build resilience: Critical infrastructure, transport networks, communication systems and public institutions should be prepared for terrorist attacks.
- Whole-of-society approach: Counter-terrorism should involve government agencies, communities, technology platforms and civil society.
Conclusion
The nature of terrorism has fundamentally changed from large hierarchical organisations to decentralised networks, lone actors and technology-enabled threats. India’s shift from defensive restraint to proactive counter-terrorism has strengthened deterrence, but military action alone cannot eliminate the threat. A comprehensive strategy combining intelligence, border security, pre-emptive action, de-radicalisation, counter-terror financing, international cooperation and technological preparedness is essential. PRAHAAR provides an important framework for moving towards a coordinated whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to counter terrorism.