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New Delhi:
India carried out 24 precision cruise missile strikes at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) today in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month, which killed 26 tourists. The terrorists had cross-border linkages.
The targets in Pakistan that India hit today included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal. All these locations were identified as hubs of terrorist activity.
India launched standoff cruise missiles at camps affiliated with the terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (LeT).
Below are details of each target, according to defence sources.
1. Markaz Subhan Allah, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
Markaz Subhan Allah is located on National Highway-5 (Karachi-Torkham Highway) on the outskirts of Bahawalpur in Karachi Mor, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. This is the main centre of JeM for training and indoctrination of young people, and is spread over 15 acres.
The markaz serves as the operational headquarter of JeM and is associated with terrorists who planned the Pulwama suicide bombing attack on February 14, 2019. The perpetrators of the Pulwama attack were trained at this camp.
The markaz has houses of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de-facto JeM chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and family members. Masood Azhar remains to be the de-jure chief of JeM and under the protective custody of Pakistani authorities at an undisclosed location in Islamabad or Rawalpindi, while the actual operations of JeM are carried out by Mufti.
JeM conducts regular arms, physical and religious training for terrorists at Markaz Subhan Allah. JeM terrorists such as Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar and other brothers of Masood Azhar and his brother-in-law, Yusuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, head of JeM’s armed wing live at this markaz.
2. Markaz Taiba, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Muridke, Punjab
Set up in the year 2000, Markaz Taiba is the ‘alma mater’ and the most important training centre of the LeT located in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke, Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan. The complex spread across 82 acres comprises madrassas, a market, residential area for terror entities, sports facility, a fish farm and agricultural tracts.
The complex holds arms and physical training facilities, along with the outreach activity called dawa’h (inviting people to Islam) to radicalise and indoctrinate people from both Pakistan and abroad. There is a Sufa academy in the markaz catering to religious indoctrination for male terrorists and a separate Sufa education centre for women.
This markaz serves as a mushrooming ground for radicalisation of students to motivate them to join armed jihad. It can be compared to a terror factory. It enrols some 1,000 young people per year. The LeT and JuD conduct periodical training for its entire terror leadership at this facility. Osama bin Laden financed Rs 10 million for construction of a mosque and guesthouse within the Markaz Taiba complex in the year 2000.
At the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), all the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks including Ajmal Kasab were imparted ‘Daura-e-Ribbat’ (intelligence training) at this facility. David Coleman Headly and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of the 26/11 terror attacks, visited Muridke along with Abdul Rehman Sayed alias Pasha, Haroon and Khurram (co-conspirators) on instructions from Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
3. Sarjal/Tehra Kalan facility, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Shakargarh, Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan
Tehra Kalan alias Sarjal facility is the main launching site of JeM for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in the Shakargarh Tehsil of Narowal district in Punjab, Pakistan. This facility is hidden on the premises of a primary health centre in Tehra Kalan village to conceal its real purpose.
The terror backers, Pakistan’s ISI, have facilitated setting up of such launch facilities along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in government buildings to hide the terror infrastructure. In fact, a number of other facilities of JeM and HM in Pakistan’s Punjab operate from basic health units and primary health centres, facilitated by the ISI.
This JeM facility holds special prominence due to its close proximity (6 km) to the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba sector. It serves as a base for digging cross-border tunnels to send terrorists to India. The ISI and JeM developed a network of tunnels at Shakargarh, which they uses for sending terrorists to India.
All the tunnels which have been dug across the International Border in the Arnia-Jammu sector were the handiwork of the handlers from this facility. The Sarjal facility also serves as a launching base for drones that carry arms, ammunition and drugs to be dropped on Indian territory.
4. Mehmoona Joya Facility, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Head Marala, Sialkot
The Mehmoona Joya facility of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) is located near Kotli Bhutta Government Hospital in Head Marala area of Sialkot district in Punjab, Pakistan. The ISI helped in setting up of such launch facilities along the IB and the LoC in government buildings to hide and conceal terror infrastructure.
This facility is used for infiltration of HM terrorists into Jammu region. They are trained in handling weapons here. Mohd Irfan Khan alias Irfan Tanda is the chief of this HM facility. Irfan Tanda has been involved in carrying out several attacks in the Jammu region, especially in the capital city of Jammu, particularly the series of blasts on January 26, 1995 in Maulana Azad Stadium of Jammu that killed eight and left 50 injured.
The then Governor KV Krishna Rao narrowly escaped the attack. Irfan Tanda has led several infiltration bids from this HM facility into Jammu and Kashmir, and handles transportation and smuggling of weapons for terrorists based in Kashmir valley.
Other HM terrorists who operate from this facility are Atta Al Rehman Alfezey alias Abu Lala and Maaz Bhai. They lead HM terrorists to infiltrate into India, using this facility as the final staging area.
5. Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Bhimber District, Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK)
Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala is one of the important markaz of LeT in PoJK and is used for infiltration of LeT terrorists and arms and ammunition into the Poonch-Rajouri-Reasi sector. The markaz is situated on the outskirts of Barnala town on Kote Jamel Road, and is at a distance of 500 metres from Barnala town and 200 metres from Kote Jemel Road.
Markaz Ahle Hadith can accommodate 100-150 terrorists; 40-50 terrorists are usually present at this markaz, supervising terror activities being organised from here. This markaz is used as a staging centre for LeT terrorists before infiltrating into Indian territory.
LeT terrorists Qasim Gujjar alias Mahrore, Qasim Khanda, and Anas Jarar operate from this markaz and live in its vicinity. Khubaib alias Mohd Amin Butt visits the markaz regularly. Qasim Gujjar and Khubaib have been designated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, of India.
Saifullah Sajid Jutt and Abu Qatal Sindhi (killed in March 2025) planned and carried out attacks targeting civilians. They included the attack on January 1, 2023 in Dhangri, Rajouri, which killed seven civilians, and the attack on June 9, 2024 on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi, which killed nine civilians. LeT and JuD leaders also visit this markaz for organising and supervising terrorist activities of LeT, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, and the Jammu and Kashmir United Movement.
6. Markaz Abbas, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Kotli
Markaz Saidna Hazrat Abbas Bin Abdul Mutalib (Markaz Abbas) of JeM is located in Mohalla Roli Dhara Bypass Road, Kotli, PoJK. This Markaz is 2 km south-east of Kotli Military Camp. The building can accommodate 100-125 JeM terrorists and 40-50 JeM terrorists are always present on the premises at any point of time.
The house of Hafiz Abdul Shakoor alias Qari Zarrar, who heads LeT’s Markaz Abbas in Kotli
Hafiz Abdul Shakoor alias Qari Zarrar is the head of this markaz. Qari Zarrar is a Shura member of the JeM council, and is one of the founding members of JeM and part of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) terrorists who left HuM and founded JeM along with Maulana Masood Azhar.
Qari Zarrar lives in a three-storey building adjacent to Markaz Abbas. He is directly involved in planning and execution of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Qari Zarrar is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for attacking an Indian Army camp near Baleeni Bridge, Nagrota, Jammu on November 29, 2016.
He is involved in fundraising for JeM through his contacts in Afghanistan. Other JeM terrorists based at Markaz Abbas include Qari Maaz (son of Qari Zarrar), Mohammad Maviya Khan, Tahir Nazir and Abu Bakr. After the Pathankot attack, arms and ammunition stores of JeM that were earlier stored in Daska Markaz in Sialkot have been transferred to the Markaz Abbas in Kotli, PoJK. Qari Zarrar himself carries arms and ammunition to Sialkot in his vehicle(s), whenever required.
7. Maskar Raheel Shahid, Hizbul-Mujahideen, Kotli, PoJK
Located 2.5 km from Mahuli Puli (a bridge on Mahuli Nalla on Mirpur-Kotli Road) in Kotli district, PoJK, Maskar Rahil Shahid is one of the oldest facilities of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). It is a secluded facility and accessible only via a dirt track. The camp is located in a hilly area and comprises barracks, four rooms being used for keeping arms and ammunition, office and living quarters for terrorists. A new facility to accommodate more terrorists and instructors has been constructed on this campus.
A special designated electricity line is provided to this camp in this otherwise secluded area. This camp is also under a heavy forest cover. It can accommodate 150-200 HM terrorists. HM terrorists visit this facility for firing training and specialised physical training.
In addition to providing conventional arms and physical training, this camp specializes in training terrorists for Border Action Team (BAT) and sniping. Terrorists are taken to nearby hilly areas to train in mountain warfare. Survival training is also imparted at this camp.
HM Head Syed Salahuddin used to himself welcome newly recruited terrorists at this facility and supervise training activities. Presently, the camp is being supervised by Abu Maaz and Abdul Rehman to train HM terrorists for BAT actions targeting Indian security forces deployed along the border.
8. Shawai Nallah Camp, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Muzaffarabad, PoJK
Shawai Nallah Camp is one of the most important camps of LeT and is used for recruitment, registration and training of LeT terrorists. This camp has been functional since the early 2000. It is located near Chelabandi bridge on Muzaffarabad-Neelum Road, Muzaffarabad, PoJK.
This camp is also known as Huzaifa Bin Yemen and Bait-ul-Mujahideen camp. It has a firing range, training ground, LeT madrassa, and 40 rooms. Shawai Nallah Camp has a large accommodation facility for LeT terrorists along with houses for terrorist commanders and instructors.
The facility is used as a base camp for imparting Daura-e-Aam training, which includes religious indoctrination, physical training, tactical training on use of global positioning system (GPS), map-reading, and arms training.
LeT head Hafiz Saeed used to welcome new terrorists to this camp on their arrival. After completion of initial training here, the terrorists are sent to other LeT camps for further training. Shawai Nallah Camp is also used from time to time to organise specialized weapons training for LeT terrorists. The LeT has been using this camp for organising refresher courses for its already trained terror commanders and cadres. The ISI also facilitates holding training at this camp by providing trainers of the Pakistani Army.
9. Syedna Bilal Markaz, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Muzaffarabad, PoJK
Syedna Bilal Masjid is the main centre of JeM in PoJK, located opposite the Red Fort in Muzaffarabad. The JeM’s office and transit camp is located on a first floor adjacent to the building of Syedna Bilal Masjid. The masjid building consists of a three-storey building; a Hijama centre (pressure cupping medical therapy) is located on the ground floor. This facility is spread over 8-10 kanals and has family quarters, office building and office of the Al-Rehmat Trust, the charity wing of JeM.
This facility is used as a transit camp for JeM terrorists prior to their launching into Jammu and Kashmir. At any point of time 50-100 terrorists live in this facility. Additional training by Pakistani Special Forces, SSG, is imparted here, as found in photographs retrieved from phones of killed JeM terrorists.
JeM operational commander and JeM head of PoJK, Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, is in-charge of the facility. Abdullah Jehadi alias Abdullah Kashmiri and an Indian fugitive Aashiq Nengroo also operate from this centre. Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri participated in the Afghan war and was part of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) before joining JeM in 2000 on its formation.
Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri is close to JeM head Maulana Masood Azhar and is considered one of the most important operational terror commanders of JeM. JeM terrorist Rehan Ali alias Ali Aslam, a resident of Rawalakot in PoJK, who was killed in an encounter at Hiranagar sector of Jammu region on June 11, 2024 transited through Syedna Bilal before infiltration into Indian territory.
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