ISI and Hamas Planning Terror Strikes From Kashmir to Bangladesh. New findings connect the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir to a Hamas-ISI nexus, with terrorists trained in PoK camps backed by Lashkar and Jaish operatives.
The recent horrific terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam has once again exposed a dangerous and expanding nexus between Hamas and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Intelligence inputs and ground-level investigations point towards a sinister convergence of ideology and training between Hamas operatives and Pakistan-based terror outfits, namely Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), with operational bases stretching from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Bangladesh.
According to intelligence sources, the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of several innocent civilians, bore chilling similarities to the brutal methods used by Hamas operatives during their October 7, 2023, assault on Israel. The tactics employed—particularly the swift and indiscriminate nature of the violence—mirror Hamas-style operations, indicating a shared doctrine of terror.
Pahalgam killers had received advanced training in terror camps located in PoK, where Hamas is reported to have established modules in collaboration with LeT and JeM. These camps operate under the direct patronage of Pakistan’s ISI, which has long been accused of using terrorism as a tool of state policy.
Of the four terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, two were confirmed Pakistani nationals. All had received advanced training in terror camps located in PoK, where Hamas is reported to have established modules in collaboration with LeT and JeM. These camps operate under the direct patronage of Pakistan’s ISI, which has long been accused of using terrorism as a tool of state policy.
Significantly, in February this year, high-ranking Hamas leaders—recently released from Israeli custody—were hosted by the Pakistani government and taken on a carefully choreographed visit to PoK. During this visit, they were introduced to Lashkar and Jaish commanders in what intelligence officials believe was a coordination meeting aimed at future joint operations.
Senior Hamas functionaries including Khaled al-Qaddoumi, Naji Zaheer, Mufti Azam, and Bilal Alsallat. Prominent Pakistani jihadist figures like Talha Saif—brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar—and other senior militants such as Asghar Khan Kashmiri and Masood Ilyas also participated in a PoK rally
In Rawalakot, a city in PoK, these Hamas leaders were paraded on horseback, symbolizing their glorification as “liberators” in an event styled as “Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” The rally was not just symbolic; it was also strategic. It featured senior Hamas functionaries including Khaled al-Qaddoumi, Naji Zaheer, Mufti Azam, and Bilal Alsallat. Prominent Pakistani jihadist figures like Talha Saif—brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar—and other senior militants such as Asghar Khan Kashmiri and Masood Ilyas also participated.
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The message was unambiguous: both Kashmir and Palestine are being positioned as rallying cries for pan-Islamic jihad, with ISI-backed outfits seeking to unite radical elements across borders to foment unrest in India and Israel. The event further served as a propaganda tool to frame both regions as victims of occupation, thus justifying terror through a manipulated narrative of resistance.
This alarming convergence has raised red flags in the international security community. Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, speaking to IANS, voiced his deep concern over Pakistan’s growing intimacy with global jihadist groups. Referring to the Pahalgam attack as “barbaric and atrocious,” Ambassador Azar said, “People have the right to vacation in peace. This kind of violence is absolutely unacceptable.”
Drawing stark parallels between the Pahalgam incident and Hamas’s October 2023 massacre in Israel, the Ambassador remarked that terrorist networks are now inspiring and learning from one another. “Apparently, they are cooperating in order to achieve their common goal—which is to terrorize us and you,” he said.
Hamas operatives—again with ISI facilitation—have also extended their ideological reach into Bangladesh. In October 2024, senior Hamas leaders were part of a controversial conference in Dhaka hosted by the Islamist group Al Markazul Islam
But the nexus doesn’t end in PoK. According to security agencies, Hamas operatives—again with ISI facilitation—have also extended their ideological reach into Bangladesh. In October 2024, senior Hamas leaders were part of a controversial conference in Dhaka hosted by the Islamist group Al Markazul Islami. The event coincided with the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attacks and was attended by senior Pakistani clerics and militants with known affiliations to al-Qaeda.
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The founder of Al Markazul Islami, Mufti Shahidul Islam, had direct ties to al-Qaeda and a long history of militant activities in Bangladesh. Although he died in 2023, his ideological legacy continues to influence groups like the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). His presence, even posthumously celebrated, highlights the continued radicalization attempts being made through strategic partnerships between Hamas and regional extremist groups.
Pakistan’s deep-rooted ties with these organizations have caused serious concern in diplomatic corridors from Washington to Jerusalem. The threat, experts say, is no longer localized but transnational in scope and intent.
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Ambassador Azar lauded India’s response and the Modi government’s efforts in stabilizing Jammu and Kashmir. “I trust the Indian government. They know the terrain, they know the sponsors, and they have the intelligence to act decisively. This is a watershed moment,” he said, underscoring Israel’s willingness to share intelligence and counter-terror strategies with India.
In a stern warning, Azar concluded, “Terror cannot be justified. The fact that terrorists are not only being hosted but embraced is alarming. They are copying and inspiring one another. That is why we need to confront this menace with unity and resolve.”
The Pahalgam attack is now being seen not just as an isolated act of terror but as part of a much broader, dangerous design—where cross-border jihadist ideologies are being actively fused under the shadowy support of Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus.
