Terrorism in the twenty-first century is not merely the work of isolated fanatics or spontaneous violence. Beneath every attack lies a hidden architecture, a dark nexus of covert networks, transnational financiers, ideological engineers, and strategic manipulators who operate beyond borders and beyond accountability. The secret war: inside the dark nexus of global terror pulls back the curtain on this invisible battlefield.

Evolving from a doctoral study into a major work of legal and strategic scholarship, this book examines how modern democracies confront terrorism without surrendering their moral and constitutional foundations. Situating India at the centre of the analysis, it explores how one of the world`s most complex democracies has responded to cross-border militancy, extremism, and insurgency while remaining anchored in the rule of law.

Drawing upon International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, and India`s counter-terrorism framework, the book exposes the fragile balance between necessity and legality, security and freedom. It challenges Western-dominated narratives of the “War on Terror” and offers a Global South perspective on democratic resilience.

At once analytical and deeply human, this book argues that the fight against terrorism is not only a battle for security, but a secret war for legitimacy, justice, and the soul of civilization.

Dr Sreoshi Sinha is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), New Delhi. She is a scholar of counterterrorism, international humanitarian law, and strategic studies, and was awarded her PhD in 2024 from the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, with a specialization in Counter-Terrorism and International Humanitarian Law. She holds an M.Phil. in Foreign Policy Studies and an M.A. in Human Rights Law from the University of Calcutta, and a B.A. (Honours) in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

Dr Sinha has previously served with leading Indian strategic and defence institutions including the National Maritime Foundation, Centre for Air Power Studies, Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), and as Associate Editor at Defence and Security Alerts. Her research spans terrorism and violent extremism, nuclear weapons and international law, Indo-Pacific maritime security, and South Asian strategic affairs. She has also taught Human Rights at undergraduate level across colleges under the University of Calcutta and served as a paper setter and examiner.

She is the author of Nuclear Weapons and International Humanitarian Law (KW Publishers, 2022) and has contributed extensively to peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes, and prominent policy platforms including CAPS, CLAWS, South Asian Voices, Firstpost, and the National Maritime Foundation. Her forthcoming book, The Secret War: Inside the Dark Nexus of Global Terror (Pentagon Press), is based on her doctoral research.