In the space of 48 hours, two major terror incidents - one near Red Fort in Delhi and another at a court complex in Islamabad - have sparked alarm and raised questions about evolving strategies across South Asia. The Delhi explosion is being probed as a “terror incident” under anti-terror law.  The Islamabad attack came just a day later, killing 12 people and prompting Pakistan’s defence minister to declare the country in a “state of war”. 

Experts say the near-synchronous strikes hint at a “takeover” of territory in the strategic sense - where emerging militant groups exploit shifting loyalties in Afghanistan and Pakistan to seize influence. Pakistan immediately blamed India’s proxies in the Islamabad blast; India called the allegation “baseless”. With investigations underway in both capitals, analysts warn this could mark a departure from traditional intra-state wars to calibrated “shadow skirmishes” played out via proxies and terror networks. Strategic watchers worry that without de-escalation, such incidents may rapidly escalate into broader confrontation.