ISI reportedly turns to retired Pak army, navy personnel to bolster terror groups in J&K

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has reportedly stepped up efforts to recruit retired army and navy personnel into terror outfits operating against India, with the aim of filling manpower shortages and making such groups operationally ready more quickly, according to intelligence officials.

Officials said the reported move follows recruitment difficulties faced by groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen after Operation Sindoor.

According to the intelligence inputs cited, although recruitment of new cadres has resumed to some extent, fresh recruits require extensive training before they can be deployed for attacks. The ISI is therefore allegedly looking towards former Pakistani military personnel, particularly those with combat or commando experience, who would require comparatively less operational training.

“Former soldiers and commandos are the preferred choice. They are operation-ready and would require a bare minimum amount of training before they can be sent out to carry out terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir,” an official was quoted as saying.

Officials said Pakistan has previously used former military personnel in connection with terror activities, including for training cadres in fidayeen attacks, logistics and other operational aspects. The role allegedly played by elements of Pakistan’s military establishment in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks has also been cited as an example.

According to another official, the ISI, with assistance from the Pakistan Army, is preparing a list of personnel who have retired or resigned from the military and are allegedly being offered incentives to join terror outfits focused on Jammu and Kashmir.

An Intelligence Bureau official said Pakistan was not planning a major attack in the immediate future, but wanted its terror groups to remain operational and prepared for possible attacks.

The official said retired personnel selected for the reported role could be moved to launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), where terrorists are currently organised in small groups.

According to the intelligence assessment cited, such groups could include cadres from JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen, with the reported plan being to place a former military operative in each group. Officials believe such personnel could provide operational leadership because of their field experience and familiarity with terrain and logistics.

The focus is reportedly more pronounced on the LeT at present. Officials said the outfit appeared to be better positioned than some other groups to conduct operations in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that its leadership structure had stabilised under Talha Saeed, son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed.

Officials also said the reported recruitment of former military personnel could help bypass the radicalisation and lengthy training stages normally required for new recruits.

The intelligence claims come amid continued efforts by Indian security agencies to track Pakistan-based terror networks and their infiltration infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Recent reports have also identified Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, a senior LeT commander killed in Budgam, as a former Pakistan Army SSG commando.