Meet the Teen “Cyberterrorist” Who, During Operation Sindoor, Waged a Digital War Against India
Cyberterrorist: An 18-year-old from Gujarat was arrested for leading over 50 cyberattacks on Indian government websites during Operation Sindoor. Authorities suspect online radicalisation and possible foreign influence behind the coordinated digital assault. AHMEDABAD Jasim Shahnawaz Ansari, an 18-year-old from Nadiad, was detained by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for reportedly planning more than 50 assaults on Indian government websites, a development that has shocked the country’s cybersecurity scene. After India began Operation Sindoor in May 2025 as a military response after a terror incident in Pahalgam, the attacks allegedly became more intense. Officials claim that Ansari and other young people organised Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks using free tools obtained from websites such as GitHub and Termux in a group named AnonSec on Telegram. Among the targets were important government agencies in the fields of finance, urban development, aviation, and defence. On hacked websites, they frequently displayed anti-national statements such as “India may have started it, but we will be the ones to finish it.” Open-Source Weapons: A Cybercrime How-To According to investigators, the group learned Python programming and carried out attacks using open-source software and YouTube tutorials. Ansari allegedly overloaded government servers with digital traffic using programs like PyDroid. According to the ATS, the group boasted about their crimes in internet chat rooms after learning how to use websites like checkhost.net to confirm the effectiveness of their attacks. Even though many of the attacks were simple, intelligence services were alarmed by their sheer number and timing, which coincided with Operation Sindoor. After detecting discussion on online forums about India’s military operations, the Gujarat ATS began surveillance and monitoring. Eventually, they concentrated on the Telegram channels where attack plans were publicly discussed. Radicalisation, Recruitment, and the Juvenile Web Investigators have been taken aback not only by the attacks’ boldness but also by the target demographic. Ansari, a science student in class twelve who failed recent tests, is among an increasing number of young people engaged in cyber subversion. At least one further 17-year-old kid is being investigated, according to ATS officials. The ATS is currently investigating whether these kids acted on their initiative or with the support of foreign operators. “There is a chance that hostile outside forces could have an impact. A top ATS official stated, “We are looking at digital footprints to find any deeper affiliations.” Cyberterrorism-related FIRs have been submitted following Sections 43 and 66F of the IT Act. The arrest of a teenager responsible for such coordinated cyberattacks raises alarming concerns about online radicalisation, national resilience, and the ease with which the young and enraged can weaponise digital India is confronted with a complex threat matrix that includes both digital and physical fronts in its conflict.
