The targets levelled include Markaz Taiba, Sawai Nala camp, Syedna Bilal camp, Barnala camp, Abbas camp, Sarjal camp, Mehmona Joya camp, Gulpur camp and Markaz Subhanallah
Two weeks after Pakistani terrorists gunned down 26 civilians near Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir, India responded on Wednesday with airstrikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Codenamed Operation Sindoor, these strikes targeted the terrorist infrastructure across the border and the Line of Control (LoC).
The targets levelled include, Markaz Taiba (Hafiz Saeed’s headquarters), Sawai Nala camp (LeT camp), Syedna Bilal camp (Lashkar and Jaish training camp), Barnala camp (training camp for infiltrators), Abbas camp (Indoctrination centre), Sarjal camp (specialised terror training camp), Mehmona Joya camp (induction centre for terrorists), Gulpur camp (LeT base), Markaz Subhanallah (JeM headquarters).
After India’s successful execution of the counter-terror offensive under ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (Pojk) on Wednesday, a hotbed of terror activity in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab has been reduced to rubble.
Bhawalpur hosts the Markaz Subhan Allah, operational since 2015, the main centre of Jaish-e-Mohammad for training and indoctrination and serves as the operational headquarters of Jem. It is associated with terrorist planning by Jem, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. The Markaz consists of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar’s residences, de-facto Chief of JeM Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members of Masood Azhar. Masood Azhar has made several addresses from this facility, extolling anti-India rhetoric and appealing to youth to join Islamic Jihad. JeM conducts regular arms, physical and religious training for its cadres at Markaz Subhan Allah.
The visuals obtained by Reuters show the terror infrastructure in Bahawalpur destroyed following the missile strikes carried out by the Indian Armed Forces under ‘Operation Sindoor’ on Wednesday.
Addressing a press briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Delhi on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh outlined the objectives of the operation. A total of nine terror sites in Pakistan including five in PoJK linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were targeted with meticulous planning to avoid civilian casualties.
Colonel Qureshi detailed the targeted camps, stating that the four terrorist camps destroyed in Pakistan are Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya.
She also confirmed the destruction of Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, located 100 km inside Pakistan, stating, “It was the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, targeted by Indian Armed Forces.”
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh elaborated on the operation’s strategic intent, stating, “‘Operation Sindoor’ was a retaliation to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 to serve justice to the innocent victims and their families. Nine terror camps were targeted and destroyed.”
She revealed that Pakistan has maintained a complex terror infrastructure for three decades, comprising 21 recruitment, indoctrination, and launch pad centres across Pakistan and PoJK.
“The targets for Operation Sindoor were based on credible intelligence inputs and locations that were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives,” Singh added, underscoring the operation’s precision.
Meanwhile, another terror hotbed in Muridke has been turned into rubble.
The Markaz Taiba in Muridke, is the most important training centre of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The complex holds arms and physical trainings facility, as well as dawa’h and radicalisation for terror entities both from within Pakistan and abroad.
This Markaz enrols around 1000 students in different courses annually. All the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attack including Ajmal Kasab were imparted ‘Daura-e-Ribbat’ (intelligence training) at this facility. David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had visited Muridke on instructions of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
The visuals obtained by Reuters show the terror infrastructure completely damaged after the strikes conducted by Indian forces.
Sheikhupura District Additional Deputy Commissioner, Usman Jaleesm, said four buildings have been demolished following India’s strikes, according to Reuters.
Jaleesm said, “Around midnight, the first two missiles were fired by India in the premises, and the other two attacks were carried out after a brief gap, and the whole four attacks were carried out in less than ten minutes. Four buildings have been demolished, one is the admin block and the mosque, and additionally two residences.”
Satellite pictures from Maxar Technologies obtained by Reuters show damage caused by Indian missile strikes on the Jamia Mosque in Bahawalpur and Muridke cities of Pakistan. The satellite images show how the area looked before the strike and after the strike.
