Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir are reportedly turning to LoRa, a long-range, low-power wireless technology, to communicate without relying on SIM cards, mobile towers or Wi-Fi, posing a new challenge for security agencies.

The technology came under scrutiny following the recovery of sophisticated off-grid communication devices from the bodies of Pakistani terror commanders killed in separate encounters in Kashmir.

“They have gone off the grid, literally. This is terror communication 2.0,” a security force officer said.

One of the key recoveries was made on September 29 in Budgam, where security forces killed Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Asif, alias Hashim Musa Fauji, during an encounter at Gurwatkalan. A rugged black device labelled “LoRa Ultra” was reportedly 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.

How LoRa technology works

LoRa, short for Long Range, is a low-power radio communication technology that can transmit data over considerable distances while consuming relatively little power.

According to security officials, modified LoRa-based devices can be used to transmit text messages, GPS coordinates and emergency SOS alerts over distances of around 10 to 15 kilometres in forest terrain.

Because devices in a mesh network can relay signals between one another, they can potentially establish a private communication network in remote areas where conventional mobile connectivity is unavailable.

“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 said.

LoRa devices recovered during Operation Mahadev

During Operation Mahadev in the high-altitude forests between Dachigam and Pahalgam, where security forces hunted down members of the Pahalgam attack module, multiple encrypted LoRa devices and SIM-less burner phones were reportedly recovered from encounter sites.

Investigators found that terrorists had allegedly been using the devices to communicate with one another and with handlers in Pakistan while bypassing conventional mobile networks.

Forensic analysis by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) has also reportedly provided security agencies with information about the communication network.

“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 said.

Security forces adjust surveillance

The reported use of LoRa technology has prompted security forces to adapt their electronic surveillance capabilities in Kashmir.

“We have recalibrated our spectrum scanners and jammers for LoRa frequencies in South Kashmir’s forest belts,” a senior security force officer said.

The development marks a shift in the way security agencies track terrorist communications, with conventional methods based on mobile phones and SIM cards becoming less effective against off-grid communication systems.

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

Source: NDTV