Poonch attack

Published
22nd Apr, 2023

Context

There has been a terrorist attack on an army vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, in which the country has lost 5 of its brave soldiers in this terrorist attack.

Who is responsible for the attack?

The attack was carried out by the People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a terror organization supported by the Jaish.

What is the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF)?

The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) is a military group engaged in the current conflict in Jammu and Kashmir between Kashmiri separatists and Indian security forces.
India asserts that it’s a division of the Lashkra-e-taiba.
PAFF organization was discussed for the first time when Article 370 was removed in J&K in 2019.

Increasing Terrorism in India

India ranks 13thon The Global Terrorism Index (GTI). The GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), a think tank, using data from Terrorism Tracker and other sources.

Framework for Combating Terrorism in India:

India recently hosted a special meeting of the UNSC's Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), with the theme of 'Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes'.
India also hosted the meeting of “No Money For Terror“, which was an initiative of the French government, to specifically focus on cooperation between countries to choke terror funding.
In August 2019, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 was revised to include the ability to label individuals as terrorists.
National Investigation Agency is the lead law enforcement investigative agency to combat terrorism.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act of 2008 has been amended by the Indian Parliament to give NIA the ability to investigate terrorism cases overseas.

Why erasing terror is becoming a challenge?

Increased freelancers: Radicalised individuals, also called ‘lone wolves’, ‘DIY’, or ‘freelancer’ terrorists are now committing random acts of terrorist violence.
Darknet: Terrorists have expanded the use of The Onion Router (TOR)-enabled darknet for propaganda, and recruitment on encrypted chat forums and platforms beyond the gaze of the security agencies.
Evolving tech, evolving terror: Advancing and emerging technologies like autonomous systems, 3D printing, and deep fake potentially offer terrorist prospects for weaponization.