NEW DELHI: Inputs from intelligence agencies suggest a significant uptick in interactions and collaboration between Hamas and Pakistan-based terror outfits, particularly in the year following the Pahalgam attack, sources privy to the matter said.
They added that the fresh inputs have raised renewed concerns within the security establishment about evolving patterns of cross-border cooperation among terrorist organisations.
The sources further indicated that investigators have identified tactical similarities between the Pahalgam attack and operations typically associated with Hamas, particularly in terms of planning, coordination and execution.
Since April 2025, agencies have documented at least four confirmed meetings between Hamas-linked operatives and groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Notably, two of these meetings occurred within a short span, a sequence that security officials interpret as evidence of deliberate, structured engagement.
These interactions are believed to have taken place across multiple locations, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, cities within Pakistan, and at least two sites in Bangladesh, pointing to an expanding geographical footprint.
Intelligence inputs further suggested that several of these meetings were conducted covertly at locations identified through surveillance and monitoring, the sources said.
Security officials in the establishment, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have been assessing the relationship between these groups, which may be evolving beyond ideological alignment into more tangible logistical and operational cooperation.
“This could include the exchange of tactical expertise, training inputs and coordination frameworks,” a senior security official said, while highlighting the possible involvement of established regional networks that might be facilitating these contacts and enabling the creation of secondary operational bases.
The developments come amid heightened alert levels, with agencies intensifying monitoring efforts. The increased frequency of engagements has amplified concerns over a potential convergence of capabilities among transnational militant actors.
The Pahalgam attack occurred approximately 75 days after senior Hamas leaders were publicly seen at a high-profile rally in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, an event also attended by leadership figures from Lashkar-e-Mustafa and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the sources said. They noted that the attack bore resemblance to the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel in terms of modus operandi and coordination, though the scale was smaller.
Tactical similarities
Sources said investigators have identified tactical similarities between the Pahalgam attack and operations associated with Hamas, particularly in terms of planning, coordination and execution. Since April 2025, agencies have documented four confirmed meetings between Hamas-linked operatives and groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.