Operation Sindoor: India targets headquarters of terror outfits JeM, LeT, Hizbul after Pahalgam terror attack

The headquarters of banned terror organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, were targeted under ‘Operation Sindoor’, with Indian Armed Forces hitting nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on Wednesday, according to a report by the news agency PTI, citing officials.

Markaz Subhan Allah at Bahawalpur, Sarjal at Tehra Kalan, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, and Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad were among the targets hit in the "precision" military strikes. All these outfits fall under the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, the report said.

Markaz Subhan Allah is the operational headquarters of JeM, involved in terrorist planning, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. The Pulwama attack perpetrators were trained at this camp, news agency ANI reported. The facility includes the residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de facto Chief of JeM Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members.

Sarjal at Tehra Kalan facility is the main launching site of JeM for infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, ANI said.

Markaz Taiba at Murdike, Markaz Ahle Hadith at Barnala and Shwawai Nalla camp at Muzaffarabad, all of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Makaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, camps and training centres of banned Hizbul Mujahideen, were also targeted.

Markaz Ahle Hadith at Barnala is used for infiltrating operatives and arms and ammunition into the Poonch – Rajauri - Reasi sector, ANI reported.

The Pakistani army and ISI used the services of the Special Services Group (SSG) to facilitate the training of terrorists in these camps, the report said, citing sources.

Operation Sindoor

The Indian Armed Forces targeted terrorist infrastructure in nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a part of Operation Sindoor, weeks after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. Out of the nine locations targeted by India, four were in Pakistan, while five were in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, the report stated.

"A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed," the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am on Wednesday, May 7.

Pahalgam terror attack

On Tuesday, April 22, terrorists indiscriminately shot several people, mostly tourists. The attack happened in Baisaran, popularly known as ‘mini Switzerland’, near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.