India on Wednesday struck nine terrorist infrastructure sites as retalition to the Pahalgam attack.
India’s strikes on nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were based on intelligence indicating that these locations were actively supporting terrorist operations in India, counter-terrorism officials said.
Anti-India terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, among others, have been receiving covert aid from the Pakistan Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. This support includes systematically coordinated financial, logistical, doctrinal, and military assistance, as well as direct combat training, officials added. Pakistani military officers regularly visit and supervise sessions at training camps operated by these groups, which have been rebranded as The Resistance Front (TRF), People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), Kashmir Tigers (KT), etc., to evade global scrutiny and portray their terrorism as an indigenous resistance movement.
Key support for these groups comes in the form of infrastructure concealed within government facilities.
Several training camps and launch pads targeted in Operation Sindoor are currently being run near army installations and cantonment areas, often under the guise of Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
Terrorist groups have been provided with military-grade communication equipment. Targets such as Sarjal–Tehra Kalan house high-frequency communication setups used for planning and coordination with infiltrated terrorists, officials said.
Religious indoctrination and other support activities—such as funding, propaganda, and recruitment—are being carried out with institutional backing at facilities deep inside Pakistan, such as Markaz Taiba of LeT in Muridke and Markaz Subhan Allah of JeM in Bahawalpur. These locations not only serve as residences for senior commanders but also as epicenters of radicalization and training in intelligence and arms handling. Additionally, commanders of these groups have used these facilities to deliver anti-India speeches, such as the December 2024 address by JeM chief Masood Azhar at Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur.
Camps such as Syedna Bilal and Shawai Nallah in Muzaffarabad, and Raheel Shahid in Kotli, are being used by the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) for jungle and guerrilla warfare training, officials said.
Operation Sindoor: Profile of the Nine Targets India Attacked on Wednesday
1. Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur
Operational since 2015, this is JeM’s main center for training and indoctrination. It serves as the operational headquarters of JeM and is linked to planning operations including the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019. The facility includes the residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar, and other family members. Masood Azhar has delivered numerous anti-India speeches here, calling on youth to join Islamic jihad. JeM regularly conducts arms, physical, and religious training at this site.
2. Markaz Taiba, Muridke
Established in 2000 in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke (Sheikhupura, Punjab), Markaz Taiba is the main training center of LeT. It provides arms training and religious indoctrination for recruits from within and outside Pakistan. It enrolls about 1,000 students annually in various courses. Osama bin Laden reportedly financed the construction of a mosque and guesthouse within the complex. The facility trained the 26/11 Mumbai attackers, including Ajmal Kasab, and hosted conspirators such as David Headley and Tahawwur Rana.
3. Sarjal / Tehra Kalan
Located in Shakargarh Tehsil, Narowal District (Punjab, Pakistan), this JeM launching facility operates from a PHC in Tehra Kalan village. Situated about 6 km from the International Border near Samba sector in J&K, it is used for tunnel construction, drone operations, and smuggling of arms and narcotics. Senior JeM leaders like Mohammad Adnan Ali (@Doctor) and Kashif Jan frequent the site, which is overseen by Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar.
4. Mehmoona Joya Facility, Sialkot
Located within the Bhutta Kotli Government BHU in Head Marala, Sialkot District, this Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) facility is used for infiltration into Jammu. Cadres are trained here in weapon handling and terrorist tactics. The facility is commanded by Mohammad Irfan Khan (@Irfan Tanda), who has been linked to multiple attacks in the Jammu region. At any time, 20–25 militants are based at the facility.
5. Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala, Bhimber
Situated on Kote Jamel Road on the outskirts of Barnala, this LeT facility is used for infiltrating operatives and weapons into the Poonch–Rajouri–Reasi sector. It can house 100–150 cadres and functions as a staging ground for operations. LeT operatives like Qasim Gujjar (@Mahrore), Qasim Khanda, and Anas Jarar operate from here, with oversight from senior commanders.
6. Markaz Abbas, Kotli
Also known as Markaz Saidna Hazrat Abbas Bin Abdul Mutalib, this JeM facility is led by Hafiz Abdul Shakoor (@Qari Zarrar), a shura member and close aide of Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar. It can accommodate 100–125 JeM operatives and serves as a hub for planning and launching infiltration missions into the Poonch–Rajouri sector. Qari Zarrar is wanted by India’s NIA.
7. Maskar Raheel Shahid, Kotli
An HM facility capable of housing 150–200 militants, this camp specializes in arms training, sniping, BAT actions, and survival skills in hilly terrain. It is one of HM’s oldest operational centers in PoJK.
8. Shawai Nallah Camp, Muzaffarabad
Also known as Bait-ul-Mujahideen, this LeT camp near the Chelabandi Bridge on the Muzaffarabad–Neelum Road has been active since the early 2000s. It trains recruits in religious indoctrination, physical conditioning, GPS use, and weaponry. The 26/11 attackers trained here. It can host 200–250 militants and serves as a staging ground for operations targeting North Kashmir.
9. Markaz Syedna Bilal
Located opposite Red Fort in Muzaffarabad, this is JeM’s main center in PoJK. It serves as a transit camp for militants prior to their infiltration into J&K. It typically houses 50–100 operatives. Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri heads the facility, which is also used by Indian fugitive Aashiq Nengroo and JeM commander Abdullah Jehadi (@Abdullah Kashmiri). SSG commandos of the Pakistan Army provide training at this site.
