How India destroyed Pakistan’s ‘terror nursery’ Muridke Markaz, where Kasab trained

In the wee hours of Wednesday, India’s armed forces launched a targeted operation, striking terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocents, mostly tourists, were brutally shot dead by terrorists.

Under Operation Sindoor, India’s tri-services coordinated a series of precise strikes against key terror infrastructure, targeting banned terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which use these facilities for training and as hideouts.

In the operation, nine terror sites were hit, including locations in Pakistan, such as Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in PoK.

The Ministry of Defence emphasised that the operation was “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, stating, “No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution.”

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Among the most significant targets was a mosque complex in Muridke, a town about 40 km from Lahore in Punjab province. Long considered the operational and ideological heart of the LeT, the complex was infamous for being Pakistan’s “terror nursery.” Here’s what we know about it.

A bastion for Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists

Established in 2000 by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, Muridke Markaz has been on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies for years. Known as one of LeT’s main centres, it has long been linked to training terrorists and spreading radical ideology.

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Located about 25–30 km from the Attari-Wagah border, the sprawling 82-acre Markaz Taiba complex sees nearly 1,000 students enrol every year. It has facilities like a madrasa, a preaching centre, residential buildings, and even a school. But beyond this, the complex is also an hotbet for indoctrination, arms training, and recruitment of terrorists.

The site includes the Sufa Academy, which trains male recruits, and a separate wing for women. LeT’s senior leadership is also believed to have used the site for meetings and training sessions. Reports say that even Al Qaeda’s Osama Bin Laden contributed Rs 10 million to fund parts of the complex, including a mosque and guesthouse.

Originally, the centre supported the Afghan jihad against the Soviets in the 1980s. But once the Soviets withdrew, the focus shifted to anti-India operations. After the 9/11 attacks, when Pakistan officially banned LeT under global pressure, the Markaz was renamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa and presented as a seminary, India Today reported.

Despite the name change, Indian agencies have continued to link the site to terror activities. It’s been mentioned in several investigations for its role in planning attacks on Indian soil.

How Kasab and Headley were trained at Muridke Markaz

Muridke Markaz came into the spotlight during investigations into the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when two key terrorists—Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, also known as Abu Mujahid, and David Coleman Headley (Daood Sayed Gilani)—spoke about being trained at the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) complex in Pakistan.

Both had ties with terror groups like LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and even al-Qaeda at different points.

According to a Deccan Herald report citing a chargesheet filed before Mumbai’s Esplanade Metropolitan Court by the city’s Crime Branch-CID, terrorists involved in the 26/11 attacks were trained at multiple locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, overseen by senior LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

In his confession to the police, Kasab detailed how he was first introduced to LeT.

“He told us about a place called Marqaz Taiba, Muridke, and told us to go there. It was an LeT training camp. We went to the place by bus. We showed the receipts at the gate of the camp. We were allowed inside… Then we were taken to the actual camp area.”

Kasab then recalled his training at Muridke Markaz.

“At Muridke, we were taught swimming and made familiar with the life of fishermen at sea. We were given lectures on the working of Indian security agencies. We were shown clippings highlighting atrocities on Muslims in India,” he said.

Kasab was found guilty and hanged till death for the barbaric attack that claimed 166 lives and injured over 300 others.

David Headley, another co-conspirator, who is serving a 35-year prison sentence in US, also testified about Muridke during his deposition before Judge G A Sanap via video conference.

Headley explained the different stages of LeT’s training programme, which included Daura-e-Sufa, Daura-e-Aam, Daura-e-Khas, Daura-e-Ribat, and a leadership course.

He said Daura-e-Sufa, the initial study course, was conducted at Muridke, just outside Lahore. The more advanced training—Daura-e-Aam and Daura-e-Khas—took place in Muzaffarabad, while Daura-e-Ribat was held in Mansehra, near Abbottabad.

Headley is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence in the United States.

By targeting the Markaz complex, Indian forces not only struck at infrastructure but also hit the base of LeT’s jihadist project. The strike sends a clear message on India’s resolve that any centre that supports or spreads terrorism will not be spared.

With inputs from agencies