Pakistan-based terror groups targeting India remain active, says US congressional report

The report such groups have historically maintained infrastructure in regions including Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

• Militant groups from Pakistan still threaten India and Kashmir.
• Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed remain active in Pakistan.
• Terrorism fatalities in Pakistan spiked to 4,001 in 2025.

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A recent assessment by US' Congressional Research Service (CRS) states that multiple militant outfits operating from Pakistani territory continue to pose threats to India and the Kashmir region, despite years of counterterror measures.

The report underlined that several groups designated terrorist by the US and United Nations “continue to operate on Pakistani soil,” despite several major military offensives, including airstrikes, and hundreds of thousands of intelligence-based operations.

Among the organisations highlighted are Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both identified as key actors in major attacks on India. The report noted that these groups, linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 Parliament attack respectively, remain active from bases within Pakistan.

It further explained that such groups have historically maintained infrastructure in regions including Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The CRS document described Pakistan as both “a base and as a target” for various militant organisations. It also pointed to a sharp increase in terrorism-related fatalities within the country itself.

After a period of decline, with deaths falling to 365 in 2019, the numbers have risen each year, “spiking to 4,001 in 2025, the highest toll in 11 years.” This trend reflected what the report called a resurgence of militancy, particularly following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Categorising militant organisations into five types -- global, Afghanistan-focused, India-and Kashmir-focused, domestic, and sectarian -- the report said many of them are “animated by Islamist extremist ideology.” It also highlighted the continued presence of Al Qaeda in the region, noting that although its “core has been seriously degraded,” it still collaborates with affiliated groups.

The report further identified the regional branch of the Islamic State, Islamic State-Khorasan Province, as a significant force operating across Afghanistan and Pakistan. This outfit is estimated to have between “4,000-6,000 fighters,” many of whom are drawn from former members of other extremist groups.

Detailing India-focused groups, the report traced the origins and activities of several organisations. Harakat-ul Jihad Islami, initially formed to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan, later redirected its operations toward India.

Similarly, Harakat ul-Mujahidin has operated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and was involved in the 1999 IC-814 Kandahar hijack. Another group, Hizbul Mujahideen, remains active with a cadre largely composed of secessionist people in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is described as “the deadliest terrorist group operating in Pakistan,” with an estimated strength of 2,500 to 5,000 fighters. Its objective, according to the report, is to overthrow the Pakistani state and impose Sharia law.

The CRS emphasises that its findings are meant to inform US lawmakers and are not official policy positions, but they provide a detailed snapshot of ongoing militant activity in the region.