’26-26′ cryptic code across Internet sparks Republic Day concern; security on high alert over potential terror threat
The repeated messaging is being interpreted as a possible allusion to Republic Day on January 26, 2026, and has placed intelligence agencies on high alert, sources told the news outlet.
Officials said the alerts coincide with specific threat inputs traced to terrorist groups operating from Pakistan.
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The pattern and timing of the online chatter have led agencies to treat the signals as potentially coordinated rather than isolated activity.
Security planners are closely analysing the digital footprint behind the messages, particularly against the backdrop of a recent series of provocative speeches by senior commanders of Jaish-e-Muhammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
These speeches are seen as an attempt to project retaliation following the extensive damage to militant infrastructure during Operation Sindoor.According to the latest intelligence assessment mentioned in the TOI report, multiple outfits based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, with alleged backing from the ISI, may be working towards synchronised strikes in key Indian cities, with Delhi identified as the primary focus.
The inputs also point to operational links between these groups and gangsters operating out of Punjab.
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Meanwhile, TOI reported that adding to the concern, a Kashmiri resistance group calling itself Falcon Squad has issued a warning through ‘Kashmir Fights Falcon X’, a page hosted on Chirpwire – an encrypted social media platform used by extremist networks in Kashmir and Pakistan.
The group has threatened “serious repercussions” if its properties continue to be confiscated or seized, explicitly indicating an intention to carry out a terror act around Republic Day.
According to the report, agencies have further flagged an account named Islah-e-Ummat, said to be run by Jaish operatives, which has allegedly been targeting young users while encouraging attacks on high-profile individuals and sensitive installations across the country.
Intelligence officials assessed to TOI that the “26-26” messaging reflects the convergence of these ongoing threats and is being framed as a significant retaliatory move, also linked to perceived Indian support for Afghan and Baloch activities.
