The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case has flagged the use of cross-border drones to drop arms and ammunition deep inside Kashmir, alongside a significant decline in human intelligence gathering between 2022 and 2024, officials and security experts said.
According to the chargesheet, drones successfully delivered weapons and cash as far as north Kashmir’s Baramulla district without detection, marking a shift in terror logistics in the region.
The probe is linked to the April last year attack at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed, triggering nationwide concern over security vulnerabilities in the Union Territory.
Officials noted that in early 2024, a drone drop at Gogal Dara forest in Baramulla allegedly delivered 20 pistols, ₹15 lakh, and Chinese-made triangle-shaped grenades to terror operatives.
Security experts analysing the findings said the incident highlights a broader shift away from traditional infiltration routes along the Line of Control towards unmanned aerial delivery systems, which are harder to detect and intercept.
Drone routes and changing terror logistics
The chargesheet reportedly indicates that Gogal Dara forests, due to their geographical alignment with the border, have emerged as a vulnerable zone for drone-based supply drops. The UAVs are believed to have bypassed multi-layered security arrangements to directly supply terror modules operating in north Kashmir.
Analysts say this marks a worrying evolution in terror logistics, where aerial delivery systems are increasingly supplementing conventional infiltration methods.
Decline in human intelligence under scrutiny
Security experts have also pointed to a sharp reduction in ground-level human intelligence (HUMINT) networks between 2022 and 2024 as a key factor enabling terror movement within the Valley.
They argue that over-reliance on technical surveillance created intelligence blind spots, allowing attackers to move through mountainous and urban terrain undetected before executing the strike.
The chargesheet has reportedly traced the movement of attackers across multiple locations before the assault, raising concerns over gaps in early-warning mechanisms.
Also read: Tourists flock to Pahalgam amid unprecedented heatwave
Nomadic communities and intelligence network concerns
Experts further suggest that strained relations with local Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, traditionally considered critical for intelligence gathering in remote areas, may have weakened on-ground security inputs.
These nomadic groups, with deep knowledge of difficult terrain, have historically played a key role in assisting security forces in tracking movement across the Pir Panjal range.
Analysts caution that any erosion of trust with such communities could undermine counter-insurgency efforts in sensitive regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
The findings have sparked debate among security planners over the need to recalibrate counter-terror strategies, particularly in response to drone-enabled logistics and gaps in human intelligence networks.
The NIA probe continues into the wider network behind the attack.
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