Foreign ultras killed in J&K found with BeiDou satphones and satnav

Over the past year, foreign militants killed in J&K have been on several occasions found with satellite phones and navigation systems belonging to BeiDou, owned and operated by China National Space Administration, ET has learnt. The use of technology by militants to avoid detection is becoming a major challenge, officials said.

"Cracking this equipment is difficult but not impossible as it takes several days and involves foreign expertise," said a senior official. According to J&K Police annual data till December 31, 2024, 42 foreign militants have been killed in the UT, of which 17 were killed during infiltration attempts along the Line of Control while the remaining 25 were killed during encounters.

An assessment carried out by various agencies has pegged the number of foreign militants in J&K at 60 which is now said to have climbed to more than 75 after a review following last week's Pahalgam attack, officials said. The recent surge in terrorist attacks in the Jammu region has been attributed to the involvement of active foreign militants.


The presence of foreign militants, despite the Army and BSF claiming "zero infiltration", has been a cause of concern for the security agencies. These militants have been carrying out attacks on security forces in the Jammu region with logistical support from overground workers, said officials.

Among the active foreign militants, most of them are affiliated to LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen. All three groups have been banned by the Union home ministry under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. "Lashkar has the largest presence of militants in the Valley and its offshoot The Resistance Force has been involved in several attacks on security personnel and civilians in the past. It came into existence in 2019 and has been banned under UAPA," explained another official.

The outfit claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack but later withdrew with the Pakistan government lobbying hard with the US to successfully drop the mention of TRF from the UNSC statement condemning the incident.