Move over guns and bombs; enter trucks, knives and rocks

Around four years back in the aftermath of a terrorist attack an investigator would study the pattern, the kind of ammunition used in a bid to get a lead into the case. There was something called a signature attack and this would be discovered on the kind of weapons or pattern used.

Today's attack at Nice in France poses an entirely new challenge to investigators and the weapon of choice was a truck.

Smuggling in guns and bombs can be a risky affair these days. Countries are on very high alert these days to prevent strikes. Take for instance France which was in a state of emergency. It was hit despite this and one of the primary reasons was the surprise element in the NICE attack and of course the choice of weapon.

Move out guns and bombs, enter trucks, rocks and knives

What we are witnessing today are very unconventional types of attacks. A truck would never come under the radar of the intelligence like a gun or a bomb would do. A knife or a rock too are very common objects and it is next to impossible that it would come under the scanner.

The ISIS has become a thinking factory today. It is innovative in its thought process and suggests all possible forms of carrying out an attack which normally would not come under the scanner of an agency. The suggestions that the ISIS has made in the recent days are attacks with cars. It says run people over with cars [Run them over with your cars, ISIS had said in a 2014 video].

For the ISIS it is not important how the attack takes place. It is more important that the attack takes place. Another suggestion it gives is to kill the enemy by smashing a rock on his head. Choke him, poison him or push him down from a building, but kill the infidel. These are the various suggestions and there are people who take a cue out of it and do exactly just that.

The job of an intelligence official is nothing short of a nightmare. How does one keep a track of all this. Tracking those with guns and bombs was a much easier task as such movement raises an alarm in several quarters. It is impossible to track down a lone wolf and intelligence does not have the capability to read into some loner's mind.

Officials in India say that the days ahead are very tough. The migrant crisis is one particular issue that Europe would need to take care of. More action must also be taken to bust the ISIS modules online as well.