Abstract: This article presents a chronological and thematic analysis of militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir from the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in August 2019 to July 2025. It traces three distinct phases: an initial decline in attacks due to lockdowns and security restrictions (2019-2020); a resurgence marked by hybrid militancy, targeted killings, and intimidation of civilians (2021-2023); and a lethal escalation involving high-profile and audacious assaults, intensified counterterrorism operations, and cross-border tensions (2024-2025).

Thadiyantavide Nazeer is a key Islamic extremist associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and India’s homegrown jihadist group, Indian Mujahedeen (IM), and has been under arrest since 2013. Nazeer has managed to use his time in prison to radicalize others and was at the center of a cell of radicalized individuals who served time at Bengaluru’s Central Prison.

•Nazeer gained notoriety for his involvement with a series of bombings in the mid-2000s. He was an adept recruiter at this time.

In mid-June 2025, ‘Pro-Khalistan’ group Sikhs for Justice supporters packed Calgary’s City Hall square, waving Khalistan flags and chanting “Kill Modi politics” while demanding that India be “Balkanised” as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 summit nearby (Global News, Canada, June 16).

Bangladesh’s political and religious landscape has witnessed a sharp sectarian turn since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her flight to India in August 2024. What began as protests over job quota reforms soon escalated into a broader civil uprising. Exploiting the ensuing power vacuum, factions that include Islamist groups have expanded their influence, propagating anti-Hindu sentiment nationwide.

Recent jihadist propaganda materials from the so-called Al-Bengal Media, a seemingly unofficial Islamic State mouthpiece, suggest an intensified ideological push to establish a wilayat (province) in Bengal. These efforts, rooted in IS's broader ambitions to maintain its global foothold despite territorial losses in Iraq and Syria, warrant a closer examination. Is an Islamic State Bengal truly in the making, or are these just remnants of a dwindling jihadist movement struggling to stay relevant?

Poster Propaganda: A Renewed Push?

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the leading jihadist group targeting the Pakistani state, has escalated its violent operations in 2024 and early 2025. The group's resurgence has been facilitated by its sanctuaries in Afghanistan, support from local militant factions, access to sophisticated arms and ammunition and last but not least, ideological and spiritual backing from the Afghan Taliban emirate.

The recent dismantling of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) modules across India has revealed a meticulously crafted strategy aimed at embedding extremist networks within the country. With a focus on decentralized operations, targeted recruitment, and grassroots radicalization exploiting local vulnerabilities, AQIS seeks to establish its Pan-India terror networks, mostly in remote places, to destabilize the country while advancing its violent jihadist ideology.