Operation Sindoor hit 9 terror hubs: 4 of Jaish, 3 Lashkar and 2 Hizbul Mujahideen camps

The Indian forces on Wednesday conducted a tri-service mission called Operation Sindoor , rattling 9 terror camps in Pakistan. These terror sites belonged to three key terrorist groups that have been operating in Pakistan and have often been responsible for causing turbulence in India.

The operation was conducted in response to the April 22  Pahalgam attack that led to the death of 26 tourists in Kashmir. According to the briefing shared by the Ministry of Defence, the operation was carried out in just 25 minutes. It started at 1:05 am and ended at 1:30 am.

The precision strikes targeted three prime terror groups operating in Pakistan - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen. The details of the operation were unveiled in a press briefing held in the national capital this afternoon, where Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh addressed the nation.

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Here’s a deep dive into the sites targeted under Operation Sindoor.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)

• Markaz Taiba | Muridke, Punjab (Pakistan)

The Markaz was established in 2002 and is touted as the most important training centre of LeT located in Nangal Sahdan. It is spread across 82 acres and comprises of madrassa market, a residential area for terrorists, a fish farm and agricultural tracts.

The complex holds an arms and physical training facility, as well as for dawa’h and radicalisation/indoctrination for terror entities, both from within Pakistan and abroad. The Markaz enrols around 1,000 students in different courses and focuses on producing terrorists for LeT.

The construction of the complex was financed by Osama Bin Laden, who had given PKR 10 million in 2000. At the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, all the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, including Ajmal Kasab, were imparted intelligence training at this facility. David Coleman Headley & Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had also visited the site. Hafiz Saeed also has a house in the facility.

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The LeT is designated as a Terrorist Organisation by many countries, including the UK(2001), the USA (2001), India (2002), and Australia(2003). After the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the terror group was placed on the Consolidated List established by UNSC Resolution
1267.

• Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala | Bhimber District, PoJK 

It is one of the important Markaz of LeT in PoJK and is used for infiltration of terrorists into the Poonch– Rajauri - Reasi sector. The complex accommodates 100 -150 cadres, and around 40 – 50 cadres are usually present at this Markaz, supervising terror activities being organised from this Markaz. It is also utilised as a staging centre for LeT terrorists before infiltrating into Indian territory.

• Shawai Nallah Camp | Muzaffarabad, PoJK

The complex is used for the recruitment, registration and training of LeT cadres and has been functional since the early 2000s. This camp is also known as Huzaifa Bin Yemen and Bait-ul-Mujahideen camp and includes a firing range, a training ground, LeT Madrassa for cadres and around 40 rooms.

LeT has been using this camp for organising refresher courses for its already trained commanders/cadres. Some of the training programs are also facilitated by Pakistan’s ISI. Ajmal Kasab and other terrorists involved in 26/11 had undergone training in this camp. There has been a resurgence in activities in this camp since 2023, and construction works have been going on to increase the capacity.

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)

• Markaz Subhan Allah | Bahawalpur, Punjab

Markaz Subhan Allah is located at NH-5, which goes from Karachi to Torkham. The target is located on the outskirts of Bahawalpur at Karachi Mor. This is assessed to be the main centre of JeM for training and indoctrination of youth, which is spread over a 15-acre
area.

The site is associated with the terrorist planning and training of the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. The Markaz also consists of the residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de facto Chief of JeM Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members.

Besides this, the complex also houses more than 600 cadres. Maulana Rafiqullah, former religious trainer at Markaz Usman-o-Ali, has been the chief instructor at this Markaz since mid-2022. Interestingly, the complex was built with the help of both the provisional and federal governments of Pakistan along with the funds raised by the terror groups in African and Gulf nations.

India has designated JeM as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) in Oct 2001. The same was done by the US (2001), UK (2001), Australia (2015), Canada ( 2002) and UAE (2014). It was ostensibly banned by Pakistan in January 2002, due to international pressure after the group claimed responsibility for the Parliament attack in December 2001.

• Sarjal / Tehra Kalan facility | Shakargarh, District Narowal, Punjab

The facility is the main launching site of the JeM for infiltration of terrorists into J&K. It is located in the Shakargarh Tehsil of Narowal District in Punjab, Pakistan and is placed under the premises of a Primary Health Centre in Tehra Kalan Village, the Sarjal area to conceal its real purpose.

Pakistan’s ISI has facilitated the construction of the complex and included the government buildings to hide terror infrastructure. It has a proximity to J&K and serves as the base for the digging of cross-border tunnels for the infiltration of terrorists. Pakistan’s ISI and JeM have developed a network of underground tunnels in the Shakargarh area, which is used for infiltration of JeM cadres into India. The complex also serves as a launching base for drones, from which arms/ammunition/narcotics and warlike stores are dropped into the Indian territory.

• Markaz Abbas | Kotli

The Markaz is located on Mohalla Roli Dhara Bypass Road, Kotli, PoJK and is just 02 km southeast of Kotli Military Camp. The building can accommodate around 100 - 125 JeM cadres and 40 – 50 JeM cadres are always present within the premises of this Markaz at any point in time.

Qari Zarrar is the head of this Markaz. Zarrar is directly involved in the planning and execution of several attacks in J&K. He was wanted and accused by NIA of attacks on the Indian Army Camp near Baleeni Bridge, Nagrota, Jammu on November 29, 2016. He also raised funding for JeM through contacts in Afghanistan.

After the Pathankot attack, arms & ammunition stores of JeM, earlier stored in Daska Markaz in Sialkot, have been transferred to Markaz Abbas in Kotli, PoJK.

• Syedna Bilal Markaz | Muzaffarabad, PoJK 

Syedna Bilal Masjid is the main centre of JeM in PoJK, located opposite the Red Fort, Muzaffarabad. The transit camp is located on the first floor, adjacent to the building of Syedna Bilal Masjid. The complex has family quarters,  office buildings and an office of the Al-Rehmat Trust, the charity wing of JeM. This facility is used as a transit camp for JeM terrorists before they launch into J&K.

Hizbul Mujahideen

• Mehmoona Joya Facility | Head Marala, Sialkot 

The complex is located near Kotli Bhutta Govt. Hospital in the Head  Marala area of Sialkot District of Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan’s ISI have facilitated setting up launch facilities in the region. This facility is used for the infiltration of HM cadres into the Jammu region of J&K. They are also given training for terrorist operations and handling of weapons by the senior commanders at this facility.

The facility consists of a single-story concrete building having three
rooms, one kitchen and one bathroom. Quarters of the nearby hospital in the vicinity of the facility are used to accommodate HM cadres.

The Indian authorities have noted that the organisation carried out a terror attack in India by getting the support of the Pakistani establishment. It is pertinent to note that HM was banned in 2002 by the Indian government under POTA.

• Maskar Raheel Shahid | Kotli, PoJK

It is one of the oldest facilities of HM and is accessible only via the Kauchcha track. The camp is located in a hilly area and comprises Barracks. Four of the rooms of the facility are used for keeping arms & ammunition, and others are used for residential purposes by the terrorists. Fresh construction activities have been noticed in this camp with an aim to accommodate more cadres.