A detailed Intelligence assessment relating to the future of internal security threats states that the ISI and its stooges are looking to exploit the social media platforms to the maximum their attempt to gather information and plot terror attacks.Influencers and those who thrive on making reels are the primary targets of the ISI. These persons in a bid to expand their reach and get more likes have become the easiest targets for the Pakistan’s ISI.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that outfits such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba have been scouting for such persons in very large numbers. Some of their recruits have been told to reach out to influencers and others who are active on the social media.These persons are lured with likes and money so that the ISI can push its agenda in India. While the Indian agencies have busted several influencer modules, the focus has now largely shifted to the honey trapping network that is being run by the ISI.

The ISI is running a multi-pronged strategy when it comes to using the social media. On one hand, it picks up influencers to set a narrative that is favourable to Pakistan. On the other, it is also looking for officials who are privy to sensitive information and data relating to the Union Government and the armed forces. The third part of the ISI’s strategy involves setting fake narratives against India and also running a disinformation campaign.An official said that the social media is becoming a nightmare for the security agencies. Our agencies are perfectly capable of busting such networks. However the problem lies in the scale and the manner in which the ISI is targeting people on the social media is extremely overwhelming, the official said.

Another official explained that it is not just a bunch of people that the agencies are dealing with. The ISI has created an army to scout for recruits in India. In fact, their operations runs 24/7 and this explains the scale at which Pakistan is using the social media to run their terror campaigns the official said.Officials say that there are multiple modules that are at work in such cases. The ISI has not only set up recruitment and scouting hubs in Pakistan, but in India as well. The aim is to create scores of agents in India so that information could flow in at all times. Modules have been set up in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to keep a close watch on the social media, officials say.

The ISI has understood that there are many influencers who chase fame or money and this has become their weakness. In a bid to get more likes or views on their reels or videos, these persons are not thinking about the ramifications their actions would have for national security, an official said.This weakness is being exploited to the maximum by the ISI and that is the reason, why their modules have been so successful, the official said.Recent investigations have clearly shown that apart from running disinformation campaigns and setting a narrative in favour of Pakistan, this network of the ISI has also focused on honey trapping top ranking officials.

When it comes to honey trapping those from the armed forces, the ISI agents do a detailed study on the individual. They study the persons in detail, to understand what their weaknesses are. The conversation usually with these persons last for many months before the real trap is set.The investigation into the case of Indian Air Force Wing Commander, M S Sabharwal details the manner in which he was allegedly honey-trapped. The probe found that he had allegedly used a personal device to record drone trial firings inside an exercise area. One of the communications he had with the ISI agent was relating to the interval between a drone’s launch and its arrival at a target.

The ISI has been on overdrive mode post Operation Sindoor. The operation carried out by the Indian armed forces not just exposes Pakistan’s nuclear bluff, but also dealt a major embarrassment to Islamabad.Following that operation, the ISI has been doing everything possible to try and embarrass the Indian establishment and the armed forces, in particular. They have found the social media to be the easiest tool to carry out this large-scale exercise and this is proving to be a major headache for the Indian security agencies, an official explained.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that negotiating with the United States did not mean surrender.At a conference in Tehran on Wednesday (local time), Pezeshkian stressed the need to defend Iran’s territorial integrity, according to a statement posted on his office’s website.

“In the process of negotiations, we are moving forward step by step at the height of our power and while maintaining wisdom, dignity and expediency,” Pezeshkian said.”Our goals have been to end the war, lift the (anti-Iran naval) blockade, release the country’s frozen assets and, then, (hold) nuclear talks,” he noted.

US President Donald Trump reportedly told top administration envoys to halt their conversations with Iran on Tuesday, local media reported, citing a US official, reports Xinhua news agency.On Wednesday, Trump announced a “crushing economic operation” on Iran, hours after saying that the situation with Iran is “so good.”Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war on all fronts on June 18.Yet, it remains unclear how the talks will proceed after a 60-day negotiating period under the MoU ended on Monday and tensions between the two sides escalated last month.

Additionally, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday that a draft plan under review by Iran’s parliament to safeguard security in the Strait of Hormuz would bar hostile and espionage vessels from transiting the strategic waterway.In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, elaborated on the plan, whose general outlines have been approved by the committee.

The plan stipulates that vessels deemed hostile or involved in espionage activities that could threaten Iran’s national security would not be allowed to pass through the strait, Rezaei said.He added that Israeli military or civilian vessels would also be prohibited from transiting the waterway, with enforcement to be supervised by Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces.Rezaei said the plan included provisions for charging passage fees in the Iranian rial or other currencies, as well as penalties for vessels violating the regulations.”If someone in another part of the world harms Iran’s interests or our citizens, we will deal with that government in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that the plan allows for measures including cargo confiscation and higher tariffs against governments that take hostile positions toward Iran.

Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz had become a national security concern for Iran following US and Israeli strikes against Iran, and that Tehran must maintain control of the waterway to prevent military threats.The parliamentary committee approved the general outlines of the plan earlier this month, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.

Jammu: For the first time, the Vande Bharat train operated at 100 km per hour on the world’s highest railway bridge, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, told reporters on Thursday.

He said the increase in speed would reduce travel time and further strengthen connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir.

“The move would provide passengers with faster, safer and more comfortable travel while also boosting tourism, trade and economic activities in the region,” he said.

The Vande Bharat train has, for the first time, operated at a speed of nearly 100 kmph on the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, following the Railway Ministry’s approval to increase the maximum permissible speed on the Katra-Banihal rail section.

The senior divisional commercial manager also said the approval allows trains to run at speeds of up to 100 kmph on the 111-kilometre-long new Broad Gauge rail section between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal under the Jammu Division of Northern Railway.

Earlier, the permissible speed was 85 kmph on the Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal section. Northern Railway has also said the speed enhancement was approved after ensuring compliance with all prescribed safety conditions.

With the revised speed limit, travel time between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal is expected to reduce further.

The Chenab Rail Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is the highest railway bridge in the world and is considered a marvel of railway engineering.

It towers 359 meters (1,178 feet) above the Chenab River bed, making it 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. The length of the bridge is 1,315 m. The bridge has a steel and concrete deck arch bridge built to resist heavy winds and strong earthquakes.

The total length of the railway project connecting Jammu to the Kashmir Valley (the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link or USBRL) is 272 kms for the newly constructed track portion, with the overall continuous rail line spanning roughly 324 to 345 kms depending on the specific start and end junctions measured from Jammu to Baramulla.