Shabir Ahmad
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has witnessed a profound transformation. Once synonymous with gunfire, stone-pelting, and the steady drift of young men into terror ranks, the Union Territory in 2025 recorded what security experts describe as a historic milestone: terrorist recruitment, particularly among local youth, became virtually non-existent.
Official figures and statements from the highest echelons of the Indian Army point to just two reported cases of local recruitment throughout the year, with active local terrorists reduced to single digits.
This shift from pervasive terror to emerging tranquility is not the result of chance but of the Indian Army’s relentless, intelligence-driven counter-terrorism operations, complemented by development initiatives, tourism revival, and a decisive crackdown on over-ground support networks.
The year began with cautious optimism but was jolted on April 22, 2025, when terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), massacred 26 tourists—mostly civilians—in Pahalgam. The attack aimed to inflame communal tensions and revive the declining appeal of militancy among Kashmiri youth.
India’s response was swift and multifaceted. Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), dealing a severe blow to militant infrastructure and planning capabilities. This was followed by Operation Mahadev, which neutralized the three perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack inside J&K.
Throughout 2025, security forces conducted intensive operations, eliminating 31 terrorists—approximately 65% of them of Pakistani origin. This included foreign militants who had come to form the backbone of remaining groups as local recruitment dried up.
Overall terror-related fatalities dropped sharply to 92 (46 terrorists, 28 civilians, and 17 security personnel), the lowest in over three decades. This compares to 127 in 2024 and far higher figures in earlier years.
Indian Army soldiers continued patrols across the challenging terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, exemplifying the relentless operations that dismantled militant networks in 2025.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, addressing the media in January 2026, credited the success to sustained, proactive counter-terrorism efforts:
“Terrorist recruitment is almost non-existent, with only two cases in 2025. Active local terrorists are now in single digits.”
He highlighted improved inter-agency coordination, grid domination in vulnerable areas, and technology-enabled surveillance.
Key elements included:
Continuous domination of the grid:
Small teams conducted relentless search operations in dense forests, high-altitude passes, and urban hideouts. Over 1,500 such operations were reported, disrupting hideouts and supply lines.
Neutralization of Over-Ground Workers (OGWs):
Intelligence agencies dismantled networks that facilitated recruitment, funding, and logistics. Dozens of OGWs were arrested, choking the pipeline that once fed fresh recruits into groups like LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Focus on foreign terrorists:
With local recruitment collapsing, militants increasingly relied on infiltrators from across the border. Security forces prioritized eliminating these elements, reducing militant strength to levels where sustaining operations became difficult.
Technological edge and winter offensive:
Drones, thermal imagers, ground sensors, and real-time intelligence helped maintain pressure even during harsh winter conditions, when infiltration attempts traditionally peak.
These sustained operations created both a psychological and operational stranglehold. Potential recruits saw little incentive and high risk in joining depleted, foreign-dominated groups, while communities grew weary of the cycle of violence and retaliation.
Security operations alone do not explain the collapse in recruitment. A broader approach combined military action with governance and economic upliftment.
Tourism, the lifeblood of J&K’s economy, staged a strong recovery. More than 1.61 to 1.77 crore tourists visited in 2025, including over 36,000 foreigners, despite the Pahalgam incident. The Amarnath Yatra crossed the 4-lakh mark, exceeding recent five-year averages and signaling restored normalcy.
Kashmir’s landscapes drew record tourist numbers, reflecting renewed stability and economic revival.
Youth found opportunities in hospitality, handicrafts, adventure sports, and infrastructure projects. Major initiatives—road upgrades, power projects, tunnels such as Zojila, and industrial corridors—created jobs and improved connectivity. The narrative shifted from “azadi” to aspiration, with many young people choosing education and employment over militancy.
Political mainstreaming after the abrogation of Article 370, assembly elections, and sustained outreach further weakened the separatist ecosystem.
While 2025 marked a watershed, threats persist. An estimated 100–150 terrorists remain in launch pads across the LoC and International Border, backed by Pakistan’s ISI. Hybrid militants and lone-wolf attacks using easily available weapons continue to pose risks. Some international observers have raised concerns about the scale of counter-terror operations and reported human rights implications, underscoring the need for balanced and transparent approaches.
Army Chief Dwivedi emphasized that the situation remains “sensitive but firmly under control,” warning that any misadventure from across the border would be met decisively.
The story of 2025 in Jammu and Kashmir is one of resilience, strategy, and sacrifice. The Indian Army’s sustained operations, carried out alongside police and paramilitary forces, dismantled the recruitment machinery that sustained militancy for decades.
From the violence-scarred decades of the 1990s and 2000s to the bustling tourist trails and peaceful yatras of 2025, J&K is shaping a new narrative—one of stability, development, and integration. As one senior officer observed, “The gun has lost its romance; development has found its voice.”
The journey is far from over, but the foundations of stability have been laid through sustained resolve. For the people of J&K, and for India, 2025 will be remembered as the year terror’s shadow began to recede, replaced by the promise of a brighter dawn.
