Proxy Warfare 2.0: Pakistan's ISI Shifts To New-Age Militant Fronts In Jammu & Kashmir

Mumbai: India’s counter-terrorism agencies have uncovered a significant transformation in the operational dynamics of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The transformation is not coincidental it is a calculated move by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to replace legacy terrorist outfits with newly-formed proxy militant groups that mask their origin, enabling Islamabad to maintain plausible deniability under growing international scrutiny.  

ISI's Facade Exposed

ISI’s façade was exposed when India carried out a strike on a terrorist launch pad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor, during which Rauf Azhar—the mastermind behind the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and a senior member of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)—was killed. He was eliminated in Pakistan's Bahawalpur after India struck nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK on May 7. Rauf, the younger brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, had orchestrated the 1999 hijacking, a significant terrorist attack on Indian soil. After his death, uniformed Pakistani Army officials were seen actively participating in his funeral. His coffin was draped in the national flag of Pakistan, an honor typically reserved for state martyrs, while Pakistani soldiers and officials attended the namaz-e-janaza, treating the slain terrorist as a national hero. 

Rauf had long-standing ties with banned terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and had been involved in multiple cross-border terror operations targeting Indian security forces. The military-sanctioned tribute at his funeral serves as irrefutable evidence of the continued support provided by the Pakistani government and military to terrorists, despite their attempts to conceal these links by resorting to newly formed proxy organizations.

According to intelligence dossiers reviewed by top security agencies, these new-age terror fronts, over two dozen formed between 2019 and 2021, have been designed to obscure their ties to Pakistan-based tanzeems such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). They mimic local resistance movements, using secular and socio-political messaging to mislead both the international community and the conflict-weary Kashmiri population.

These outfits, including The Resistance Front (TRF), People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), and Kashmir Tigers (KT), among others, portray themselves as grassroots movements, deliberately distancing their public image from Pakistan-based jihadist entities. Their messaging has also evolved, replacing Islamist rhetoric with secular, anti-establishment language aimed at garnering sympathy among global audiences.

These groups are direct proxies: TRF operates under the command and control of LeT, while KTa nd PAFF align with JeM’s ideological and operational framework.

Initially emerging with a heavy online presence, these groups replaced traditional jihadist rhetoric with secular and anti-India slogans, echoing themes of “freedom struggle” and “anti-fascism.” This strategic shift allowed them to repackage terrorism as socio-political rebellion, particularly appealing to disillusioned youth in Kashmir.

List of Emergent Militant Fronts  --

1. The Resistance Front (TRF)

2. People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF)

3. Kashmir Tigers (KT)

4. Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF)

5. Tahreek-e-Sangbaz

6. Al Qisas Movement J&K

7. Kashmir Freedom Fighters

8. Islamic State Wilayat Hind (ISWH)

9. United Liberation Front (ULF)

10. Lashkar-e-Mustafa

11. Kashmir Liberation Warriors

12. Tehreek-i-Millat-i-Islami

13. Mujahideen e Ghazwatul Hind

14. Sayed Ali Geelani Force

15. Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters

16. Kashmir Revolution Army

17. Kashmir Janbaj Force

18. Muslim Jaanbaz Force

19. The Elite Liberation Force

Most of these groups surfaced with similar ideological branding, offering a façade of “revolutionary struggle” or “anti-fascist resistance” while receiving technical training, funding, and weaponry through traditional ISI networks in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Intelligence inputs have confirmed that ISI actively coordinated with tanzeems—Pakistani militant groups to establish these new entities. The objective: to sustain militancy under the guise of local discontent and create plausible deniability amid growing global scrutiny.

This proxy warfare model was also a response to Indian forces' elimination of key terror figures,  the new groups began refining their public posturing, emphasising “freedom struggle” themes over religious jihad, in an attempt to gain traction among a population weary of decades-long violence. These newly formed outfits adapted their rhetoric to align with prevailing political sentiments within Jammu and Kashmir and across India.

By reframing their narrative through secular and socio-political lenses, they aimed to resonate with a conflict-fatigued Kashmiri populace, one increasingly weary of sustained violence, disillusioned by persistent instability, and tired of Pakistan-sponsored militancy that had brought decades of bloodshed to the region.

Investigations into terror incidents since 2020 confirm that these new groups follow similar attack patterns, command structures, and financial conduits as their parent organizations. From targeted killings of civilians and security personnel to IED attacks and cross-border infiltration attempts, the tactics remain consistent with traditional terror modules, though the branding has evolved.

While many of these fronts faded within a year of their emergence, four remain actively operational:

1. TRF (LeT proxy)

2. PAFF  (JeM proxy)

3. KT (JeM proxy)

4. JKGF (possibly linked to multiple tanzeems)

These four groups are currently operational across urban and rural zones of the Kashmir Valley, with increasing footprints in the Jammu region—particularly Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi. They remain highly active in recruiting and radicalising youth, primarily via Telegram channels and private chat  radicalise youth and plot high-profile attacks.