Drones Replacing OGWs in J&K: ISI Using UAVs for Surveillance, Infiltration Support

Srinagar, July 16 – Drones have become the new “Over Ground Workers” (OGWs) for terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a significant shift in how these groups operate, officials revealed on Wednesday. With increasing pressure on traditional OGWs leading to arrests or their disappearance, terror outfits are now turning to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance, logistics, and infiltration support.

Officials say Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI, has intensified the use of drones to assist militants in crossing the Line of Control (LoC), monitor troop movements, and even supply rations to terrorists holed up in remote mountainous regions of Kashmir, Rajouri, and Kishtwar.

The shift began in earnest after June 27, 2021, when drones were used to strike buildings at the Jammu airport, signaling a new phase of asymmetric warfare. Initially used along the Punjab border for drug smuggling and arms drops, drones have now become central to ISI’s infiltration strategies.

According to intelligence inputs, ISI recently held a meeting with top operatives of banned groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), focusing on enhancing drone surveillance and ramping up recruitment.

The agency is reportedly devising detailed plans to support terrorism in J&K, including shifting terror camps within PoJK, using local residents as infiltration guides, and constructing underground bunkers in anticipation of armed conflict. This appears to be a counter-response to India’s “Operation Sindoor”, where the Indian Air Force struck nine terror facilities in PoJK.

Globally, the use of drones by terror groups has escalated, as noted in a report by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). It warned that after initial deployments by ISIS in Iraq, drones have become a standard tool for reconnaissance and bomb delivery by non-state actors.

Officials stress that the growing reliance on drones has added a new layer of complexity to counter-terror operations in the region.