DNA Explainer: Who are 'hybrid terrorists' and how they are becoming a threat to national security?

The security forces in Kashmir are yet again facing the challenge of hybrid terrorists. On October 6, a ‘hybrid terrorist’, identified as Yawar Ahmed, was nabbed in a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 44 Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserved Police Force. 

The agencies recovered one 9mm pistol, 12 rounds and a magazine from Ahmed. Police said he is associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba and a case has been registered against him in Zainpora Police Station. 

On October 19, another Lashkar-e-Taiba "hybrid terrorist", who was arrested following the death of two labourers in a grenade blast in Shopian, has been killed in an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Based on disclosure of arrested hybrid terrorist and in continuous raids by police and security forces, another contact has been established between terrorists and SFs at Nowgam, Shopian, in which hybrid terrorist Imran Bashir Ganaie (was) killed by firing of another terrorist," Kashmir Zone police said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Security forces and intelligence agencies have defined hybrid terrorists as those not listed as ultras but radicalised enough to carry out a terror strike and then slip back into routine life.

Of the 55 civilians killed over the past 20 months in Kashmir, police atrribute over 70 per cent to ‘hybrid militants’, of whom every one in five was a juvenile. 

What makes these ‘hybrid terrorists’ different from the ‘regular’ ones is the fact that they live their normal lives in between their assignments. Security agencies find it difficult to track and trace them as they live among the general populace.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Sunday said, ” We have hybrid terrorists who hardly have any record of terror-related incidents. They become terrorists only after their first activity.” He added that attempts are being made to misguide these people. 

Officials told PTI the trend is occurring in the Valley on the directions of Pakistan and its spy agency, the ISI.

The term ‘hybrid terrorist’ was reportedly coined first in October 2021 when suspected militants believed to be affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF) killed two non-Muslim teachers at a government school in Srinagar. 

As per Article 14, the term gained widespread use after the Centre in 2022 bestowed the home minister’s medal for excellence in investigation to deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sachit Sharma, the only officer from Jammu and Kashmir among more than 150 nationwide recognised.

Sharma solved a case in which the son of the owner of a popular eatery was shot dead by militants in Srinagar, known as the Krishna dhaba militant attack, on 17 February, 2021.

‘Hybrid terrorists’ do not receive any special training like the ‘regular’ ones and target unarmed people, mostly innocent civilians. They choose targets where there is little scope of retaliation, such as businessmen (from minority community), activists, political leaders without security and off-duty policemen. 

Officials believe their aim is to spread fear and stop businesses and social activity that targets terrorists and their ecosystem.

They target and silence voices that are speaking against separatism and against the perpetrators and instigators of violence, that is the aim, as per officials quoted by Firstpost. 

Such terrorists prefer to carry smaller weapons like pistols and sticky bombs rather than AK-47s. This is because they are not specifically trained to use bigger weapons and can also hide the smaller weapons in public. 

However, human rights activisits have criticised the terminology, claiming it is being misused by security agencies, as per Article 14. They argue that anyone can be branded an over ground worker or hybrid terrorists in regions where police excesses are alleged and army has special powers.