Security agencies have detected a new communication method being used by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Militants are turning to LoRa, or Long Range, Low Power technology, which allows communication without SIM cards, mobile towers or Wi-Fi.

The shift came to light after security forces recovered advanced off-grid communication devices from slain Pakistani terror commanders in Kashmir. The devices can operate deep inside forests and leave little trace on conventional mobile tracking systems.

"They have gone off the grid, literally. This is terror communication 2.0," said one of the security force officers.

The biggest recovery came on September 29 during an encounter at Gurwatkalan in Budgam. Security forces killed Lashkar-e-Taiba's most wanted commander, Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa Fauji. A rugged black device marked LoRa Ultra was found near his body.

"These are not ordinary walkie-talkies. These are encrypted, mesh-based radios. Each handset acts as a tower itself. No SIM card, no recharge, no location ping," a senior security official said.

LoRa uses low-power radio frequencies to transmit text messages, live GPS coordinates and emergency SOS alerts. In forest areas, the devices can reportedly communicate across 10-15 kilometres. Each handset can relay signals, allowing the devices to form a private network without relying on conventional telecom infrastructure.

"It can send a message from a Dachigam ridge to a handler sitting across the LoC, with zero digital footprint on our normal tracking systems. That is what makes it lethal," another officer involved in technical surveillance explained.

During Operation Mahadev in the high-altitude forests between Dachigam and Pahalgam, where security forces were tracking the Pahalgam attack module, forces recovered several encrypted LoRa sets and SIM-less burner phones from the encounter site.

Investigators found that terrorists used the devices to communicate with each other and with Pakistani handlers while avoiding mobile networks.

Pakistan-China Tech Link

Forensic analysis by the National Technical Research Organisation has pointed to a wider network. Security sources said the recovered devices were not locally assembled. They allegedly arrived pre-configured and pre-encrypted to connect with handlers across the border.

"These devices are not locally assembled. They come pre-configured, pre-encrypted, to link directly to handlers across the border," sources in the security establishment revealed.

In simple terms, the investigation points to Pakistan providing the operational support while China is linked to the technology.

Security forces have also started adapting their counter-surveillance measures. "We have recalibrated our spectrum scanners and jammers for LoRa frequencies in South Kashmir's forest belts," a senior security force officer informed.

"The game has changed from chasing SIM cards to hunting silent radios. And we are hunting them down," a senior security force officer said.