Srinagar, Nov. 13 -- Violence does not announce its return. It appears in moments that expose a weakness, exploit a gap and leave behind a question. The firing on security personnel in south Kashmir and the recovery of bodies two missing security personnel from a remote forested belt are not isolated episodes separated by geography. Together, they reveal a reality that cannot be ignored: terrorism may have weakened, but it has not disappeared.

For several years, official discourse has focused on indicators of improvement. Tourist arrivals have increased, economic activity has expanded and large-scale violence has declined. Yet security is not measured only by statistics. It is also measured by the ability to prevent a gunman from opening...