A Triangle of Espionage in South Asia

RAW, NDS, and Mossad: A Triangle of Espionage in South Asia

By: Dilpazir Ahmad Janjua

Espionage has long replaced conventional war as the preferred method of exerting geopolitical pressure. In the shifting sands of South Asia and the Greater Middle East, the collaboration between India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Afghanistan’s intelligence services—primarily the now-defunct National Directorate of Security (NDS)—has evolved into a potent alliance aimed at sabotage operations, proxy warfare, and regional destabilization.

Behind the scenes of this axis, Israel’s Mossad appears increasingly aligned, offering technical expertise, digital tools, and ideological motivation—especially when it comes to countering Muslim-majority nations like Pakistan and Iran.
 RAW and NDS: A Symbiotic Intelligence Alliance
 RAW (Research & Analysis Wing)
India’s premier external intelligence agency, RAW, has a mandate for:
Cross-border operations
Political destabilization
Counter-terrorism surveillance (with a regional bias against Pakistan)
 NDS (Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security)
Before the Taliban takeover in 2021, the NDS was:
Trained and funded largely by the CIA and India
Known for its deep hostility toward the Taliban and Pakistan
Often used to support anti-Pakistan elements like TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) and BLA (Baloch Liberation Army)
Between 2014 and 2021, RAW-NDS coordination intensified dramatically, with joint training, intelligence sharing, and operational collaboration—particularly in regions bordering Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
 Real Incidents of RAW–NDS Sabotage Operations
1. Kulbhushan Jadhav Case (2016)
Captured by Pakistani authorities in Balochistan, Jadhav was a RAW officer using Iran and Afghanistan as staging grounds for covert operations.
He admitted involvement in:
Fueling Baloch separatism
Funding terror groups like BLA
Planning attacks on Pakistan’s infrastructure
His travel records confirm RAW-NDS cooperation, with movements through Kandahar, Herat, and Chabahar.
 APS School Attack (2014): TTP Nexus
Pakistani investigations and intelligence reports have repeatedly suggested that RAW and NDS provided indirect support to TTP militants via safe havens and logistical facilitation.
While India denies the link, captured TTP commanders have claimed RAW officers operated safehouses in Jalalabad and Spin Boldak, facilitating attacks like the Army Public School massacre in Peshawar (over 150 killed, mostly children).
 Gwadar and Chinese Workers Targeted (2018–2020)
A wave of attacks on Chinese engineers and CPEC routes in Balochistan were traced to BLA militants, who reportedly received training and explosives through Afghan territory.
Intercepts suggested NDS officers worked with RAW handlers to fund these missions — with anti-China objectives aligning all three players: India, Afghanistan (pre-2021), and Israel.
 Chabahar Bombing Plot (Foiled in 2019)
Iran’s intelligence agencies unearthed a RAW-linked cell in Chabahar (on Iranian soil) planning attacks in Zahedan and Pakistani border areas.
The suspects had traveled from Afghanistan via Nimruz province, where NDS reportedly provided them safe corridors.
 The Role of Ideology and Strategic Alignment
 RAW’s Objectives:
Undermine Pakistan’s global image by linking it with terrorism.
Destabilize Balochistan to disrupt China’s CPEC corridor.
Use Afghan soil as a buffer to encircle and pressure Pakistan and Iran.
 NDS’s Incentive:
Enmity with Taliban (who had support from Pakistan).
Opportunity to internationalize Afghan grievances against Pakistani influence.
Support from India in weapons, training, and intelligence tools.
Mossad’s Entry:
Israel, through covert channels, has offered cyber training and digital surveillance support to both RAW and (unofficially) to NDS before 2021.
Shared interest in:
Weakening Muslim-majority strategic players (Pakistan, Iran)
Monitoring Shia and Sunni networks
Countering China’s expansion in the region
 Triangular Cooperation: RAW–NDS–Mossad
Though never officially admitted, credible intelligence leaks and independent investigations have revealed:
Joint workshops on cyber warfare attended by Indian and Israeli contractors.
Digital surveillance systems used by NDS were procured via Indian and Israeli firms—including software licensed from Tel Aviv tech startups.
After 2017, some Baloch separatist figures received Israeli visas for conferences in Europe — promoted by Indian lobbying groups.
 Strategic Goal:
Create a narrative of “liberation movements”, Islamic extremism spillover, and regional instability, all pinned on Pakistan — with support from both Afghan intelligence and Israeli media tools.
 Post-2021: Taliban Takeover and Collapse of NDS
The fall of Kabul in 2021 disrupted this triangle:
NDS dissolved, but its assets and officers remain in contact with foreign handlers.
RAW lost ground access to Balochistan from Afghanistan, shifting focus to Iranian corridors and Gulf-based operatives.
Israel’s digital tools remain in circulation, with remote access still a possibility via third-party firms or ex-Afghan networks.
 Implications for Regional Security
Pakistan:
Faces asymmetric warfare from foreign-funded separatists.
Must strengthen border intelligence, especially on Western frontiers.
Needs diplomatic outreach to Iran and Taliban to shut down RAW remnants.
Iran:
Must guard against Israeli and Indian manipulation of dissident groups in Sistan-Balochistan.
Should enhance IRGC border monitoring in Chabahar and Mirjaveh.
China:
Increasingly concerned about RAW-backed sabotage on CPEC projects.
Has boosted its security presence in Gwadar and along transport routes.
 Conclusion: A Dangerous Game of Shadows
The RAW–NDS–Mossad triangle, whether fully formalized or loosely coordinated, represents a new model of multi-layered espionage: ideology, cyber power, and proxy violence fused into one.
What connects them all is not just geopolitical strategy, but an ideological hostility toward Pakistan, Iran, and the Islamic world’s strategic cohesion.
The war today is not fought with armies — it’s fought with alliances, insurgents, and code.