Operation Sindoor: Indo-Pak military balance redefined as LeT, Jaish, and Hizbul camps destroyed

Pakistan army and its Inter-Services Intelligence have been covertly supporting the activities of terrorist outfits Lashkare-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and others.

LeT and JeM have been provided with infrastructure, concealed in government facilities, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Terrorist groups have been provided with military-grade communication equipment, such as long range/ultra-set, digital mobile radio to bypass technical monitoring.

Also Read: Why strike on Muridke? The story of Pakistan's notorious terror nursery

In addition to providing logistics, financial support and operational bases, Pakistan army is also facilitating training of terrorists. Terrorists are being trained by Pakistan Special Services Group in jungle and guerrilla warfare. Indian military on Wednesday targeted nine of these facilities. Here’s a list of these nine camps:



PAKISTAN-OCCUPIED KASHMIR
1. Shawai Nallah Camp, Muzaffarabad
Also known as Bait-ul-Mujahideen, this camp is located near the Chelabandi bridge on Muzaffarabad-Neelum Road. It is one of the most important camps of LeT. Terrorists directly involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks received training here. This camp is used for recruitment, registration and training of LeT cadres and has been functional since early 2000. It is used as a base for imparting Daura-e-Aam training, which includes religious indoctrination, physical training, tactical training regarding use of GPS, map reading and arms training for rifles and grenades. The camp is also used from time to time to organise specialised weapons training. ISI facilitates it by providing Pak army trainers to impart weapons training to terrorists. It is a large training camp which can accommodate 200-250 LeT cadres. This camp is also utilised as a staging camp for LeT terrorists before infiltrating into the Indian territory. LeT terrorists camping here are sent to launching facilities located opposite north Kashmir.


2. Markaz Syedna Bilal
This is the main centre of JeM in PoK, located opposite Red Fort, Muzaffarabad. It is used as a transit camp for JeM terrorists before their launching into J&K. At any point of time, 50-100 cadres reside in this facility. JeM operational commander and JeM head of PoK, Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, is in-charge of it. Abdullah Jehadi, alias Abdullah Kashmiri, and Aashiq Nengroo (an Indian fugitive) also operate from this centre. Commandos of Pak army’s Special Service Group also impart training to JeM cadres here.

Also Read: 25 minutes, 9 terror camps, 26 dead avenged! Inside India's precision strike on Pakistan terror hubs


3. Markaz Saidna Hazrat Abbas Bin Abdul Mutalib (Markaz Abbas); 1.04 AM
This is a key terror facility of JeM located at Kotli. Hafiz Abdul Shakoor, alias Qari Zarrar, a ‘shura member’ of JeM council and close associate of JeM top commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, is head of this markaz. Qari Zarrar is directly involved in planning and execution of terror attacks in J&K and is wanted by the National Investigation Agency of India. Markaz Abbas can accommodate 100-125 JeM cadres. JeM’s terror activities including infiltration of cadres from the Poonch-Rajouri sectors are planned and executed from this facility.


4. Kotli’s Gulpur Camp; 1.08 AM
30 km from LoC, this was a base for LeT terrorists. It was a training centre for terrorists involved in April 20, 2023, attack in Poonch and June 9, 2024, attack on pilgrims.


5. Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala, Bhimber Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala
Located on the outskirts of Barnala town on Kote Jamel road, this is a prominent markaz of LeT and is used as a staging centre and base for infiltration of LeT terrorists and smuggling arms, ammunition into the Poonch-Rajouri Reasi sector. It can accommodate 100-50 cadres. LeT terror operatives Qasim Gujjar, alias Mahrore, Qasim Khanda and Anas Jarar operate from this markaz and reside in its vicinity. LeT’s operational commanders visit it for organising and supervising terrorist activities of LeT, Jamaat-udDawa and the Jammu & Kashmir United Movement.

DEEP INSIDE PAKISTAN
6. Mehmoona Joya Facility, Sialkot; 1.11 AM
The facility of Hizbul Mujahideen is in the premises of Bhutta Kotli Government Basic Health Unit at the Head Marala area of Sialkot district. It is used for infiltration of HM cadres into the Jammu region. They are trained for terror operations and handling of weapons by senior commanders. Mohd Irfan Khan, alias Irfan Tanda, is the commander of this facility. He has been involved in carrying out several attacks in the Jammu region, especially in Jammu city. Around 20-25 terrorists are usually present at this facility at any point of time, overseeing infiltration bids and terrorist operations in India.

7. Sarjal/Tehra Kalan
Located in Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal district in Pakistan’s Punjab, this is JeM’s main facility for launching terrorists into J&K. As part of a concerted ISI strategy to conceal terror infrastructure in government buildings, the facility is being operated from the premises of a primary health centre in Tehra Kalan village. This facility holds special prominence due to its proximity of around 6 km from the international border in J&K’s Samba sector. It serves as the base for digging cross-border tunnels for infiltration of terrorists and launching drones to drop arms, ammunition, narcotics and warlike stores into the Indian territory. JeM terrorists Mohammad Adnan Ali, alias Doctor, and Kashif Jan regularly visit this facility and JeM de-facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar supervises its operations.


8. Markaz Taiba Muridke
Established in 2000, it is the ‘alma mater’ and the most important training centre of LeT, located at Nangal Sahdan Muridke in Sheikhupura. The complex has arms and physical training facility, as well as dawa’h and radicalisation centre for terror entities, both from within Pakistan and abroad. Students are motivated to join armed jihad. It can be compared to a terror factory.


This markaz, or hub, enrols around 1,000 students in different courses annually, highlighting its role in churning out terror entities for LeT. Osama bin Laden had financed Rs 10 million for the construction of a mosque and guest house within the complex. At ISI’s behest, all 26/11 preparators, including Ajmal Kasab, were trained (including intelligence related) here. David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of Mumbai attacks, had visited Muridke along with Abdul Rehman Sayed, alias Pasha, Haroon and Khurram (co-conspirators) on the instructions of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

9. Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur
Operational since 2015, this markaz is the main centre of JeM for training and indoctrination and serves as JeM’s operational headquarters. It is associated with terrorist planning, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. The markaz consists of residences of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de-facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members of Masood Azhar. Masood Azhar has made several anti-India addresses from this facility and appealed to the youth to join jihad. JeM conducts regular arms, physical and religious training for its cadres at Markaz Subhan Allah.