NEW DELHI: Central intelligence agencies have begun tracking cross-border conversations, chats, emails and messages exchanged after May 7 -- the day Operation Sindoor was launched -- between persons in J&K and other border states, and elements based in Pakistan. The purpose, according to sources in the security establishment, is to identify the terror support cells or “traitors’on the Indian side with linkages to Pakistan-based jihadi outfits or the Pakistani deep state, including ISI.
The exercise to sift through the voluminous communication data using all possible modes — email, telephone calls, messages, chats including through encrypted or popular social media platforms — is aimed at finding out if the terror sympathisers on the Indian side had reached out to their terror handlers or ISI as Operation Sindoor unfolded with precision strikes on 9 major terror hideouts in Pakistan.
“All those found to have been in touch with terrorists, terror outfits, and ISI etc after May 7 will be closely watched and, if need be, detained for questioning regarding their likely terror linkages and sympathies, besides other motives," a senior officer of the Central security establishment shared with TOI on Tuesday.
The officer said the focus will be to probe if the suspects based in J&K and other border states were leaking sensitive information to their Pakistani contacts, including but not limited to Indian troop movements, or reaching out to their terror handlers or family members who may have exfiltrated to Pakistan.
“This exercise will help the agencies investigate the larger but still invisible overground workers’ (OGW) network in J&K and beyond. The terror support cells and the still-unmapped OGW network on the Indian side will come under the radar thanks to their conversations during Operation Sindoor, with Pakistan-based elements. This will give NIA and J&K SIA a whiff of the likely terror conspiracies they may be planning on the directions of their Pakistani terror masterminds and ISI," said an officer.
“The law enforcement agencies can thus take action to not only prosecute them for endangering national security, but also deny their families benefits/amenities including govt jobs and police clearance for passports, etc," a second officer told TOI.
The exercise to sift through the voluminous communication data using all possible modes — email, telephone calls, messages, chats including through encrypted or popular social media platforms — is aimed at finding out if the terror sympathisers on the Indian side had reached out to their terror handlers or ISI as Operation Sindoor unfolded with precision strikes on 9 major terror hideouts in Pakistan.
“All those found to have been in touch with terrorists, terror outfits, and ISI etc after May 7 will be closely watched and, if need be, detained for questioning regarding their likely terror linkages and sympathies, besides other motives," a senior officer of the Central security establishment shared with TOI on Tuesday.
The officer said the focus will be to probe if the suspects based in J&K and other border states were leaking sensitive information to their Pakistani contacts, including but not limited to Indian troop movements, or reaching out to their terror handlers or family members who may have exfiltrated to Pakistan.
“This exercise will help the agencies investigate the larger but still invisible overground workers’ (OGW) network in J&K and beyond. The terror support cells and the still-unmapped OGW network on the Indian side will come under the radar thanks to their conversations during Operation Sindoor, with Pakistan-based elements. This will give NIA and J&K SIA a whiff of the likely terror conspiracies they may be planning on the directions of their Pakistani terror masterminds and ISI," said an officer.
“The law enforcement agencies can thus take action to not only prosecute them for endangering national security, but also deny their families benefits/amenities including govt jobs and police clearance for passports, etc," a second officer told TOI.
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