"We want ISIS," proclaims a graffiti in downtown Srinagar.
Pro-militant slogans have reappeared on walls in the Kashmir valley and small religious gatherings exhorting people to join militancy are taking place with greater frequency.
From Sopore in north Kashmir to Anantnag in south, there have been several incidents that have left the police demoralized.
Sopore, the 'apple town' of the valley, recently convulsed repeatedly in the aftermath of killing of six civilians, including some former militants, suspectedly by a breakaway group of Hizbul Mujahideen, with four falling to terrorists' bullets in seven days.
Despite the killings pointing a bloodied finger at Qayum Najjar alias 'Nazarwala', the police are yet to apprehend him as he goes about unleashing violence in Sopore with impunity.
The Narbal incident on the outskirts of Srinagar in which an Assistant Sub-Inspector and a constable were jailed for firing at a stone-pelting crowd that attacked a police team has left the law enforcement machinery dismayed. The police officials claimed there was no magisterial enquiry conducted before slapping murder charges against the personnel.
Anti-militancy operations have suffered a big jolt as police is losing fast on its 'sources' or informers within the public.
"Human intelligence, which is key to the success of all anti-terror operations, has gone dry. Many of our sources have fled the scene or switched over to other side as funds are not available to maintain them," said a police officer, who has been in the forefront of anti-militancy operations.
Sources in the police admit in private that a couple of those gunned down in Sopore were police informers who tipped them off about anti-national activities.
"But after these killings, many have fled to safer places and others may have switched sides. These sources used to be paid handsomely for the operations carried out earlier but now due to some of the policies of the state government, these sources find it hard to earn their livelihood and find it easy to return to militant ranks," said a senior police official on the condition of anonymity.
There has been no anti-militancy operation other than a 'chance encounter' in Kulgam last month where two Lashker-e-Taiba militants were shot dead by the army and para-military forces after some of their arms and ammunition got exposed in the public.
"We don't know who comes and paints in the night. These are some mischievous elements and not a cause of threat," said an officer, downplaying the significance of the ominous graffiti in support of the Islamic State.
His claims notwithstanding, fear is palpable with fresh diktats emerging on the streets quite frequently with a hand-written poster claiming to be from Jammu and Kashmir Tehrek-e-Taliban in Sopore directing people not to watch TV, consume liquor or allow movement of women without veil. The diktats bear a striking similarity with diktat imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
