Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, May 31

Pakistan is transmitting unauthorised cellular signals across the border into Jammu and Kashmir to provide covert communication support to militant networks operating in J&K, with a particular focus on the Jammu region, officials said on Sunday.

Security officials said recent monitoring along the Line of Control (LoC) points to a rise in telecom infrastructure on the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir side, with signals extending into Indian territory and reaching sensitive installations, including prisons housing jailed militants.

The signal footprint has been recorded in border districts such as Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch, and in some cases as far inland as the Kot Balwal jail area in Jammu, officials said.

They said the flat terrain of Jammu allows the signals to travel deeper into Indian territory, unlike Kashmir where mountainous terrain blocks much of the transmission.

Officials said some of the existing jamming systems deployed in prisons have not been fully effective in blocking the cross-border signals, with smuggled mobile phones reportedly continuing to operate within high-security jail premises.

Jammu and Kashmir has 14 prisons and two correctional homes.

Given the region’s complex security environment – shaped by cross-border infiltration, drone-assisted deliveries and evolving telecom technologies – authorities are considering deploying next-generation systems capable of detecting and neutralising active rogue devices in specific zones without disrupting civilian mobile networks nearby, officials said.

They said security agencies had similarly targeted cross-border communication networks in 2019 and 2020, eventually dismantling them after decoding encrypted systems, and that current attempts were also under close watch.

Officials alleged that the placement of telecom towers by Pakistan along the International Border and the LoC violates Article 45 of the constitution of the International Telecommunication Union, which requires member states to prevent the transmission of false, misleading or superfluous signals and cooperate in identifying unauthorised stations.

According to officials, some of the towers are operating on Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology with encrypted communication systems that make interception and real-time monitoring more difficult.

They said militant groups were also using YSMS-based communication systems, which combine smartphone and radio-set capabilities to enable encrypted off-grid communication.

The network enables handlers based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to remain in contact with infiltrating militants as well as local support operatives in Jammu while attempting to avoid interception by the Indian Army and the Border Security Force, officials said.