Operation Sindoor: Why did India target ‘terror nursery’ Muridke Markaz in Pakistan?

Operation Sindoor: India struck nine “terrorist camps” in Pakistan on Wednesday, accusing them of serving as indoctrination centres, training areas and launchpads, two weeks after an attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that New Delhi said was conducted by Pakistan-backed terrorists. Among the camps were Murdike Markaz, Markaz Taiba Camp and Markaz Subhan Camp.

Indian armed forces successfully struck nine terror targets—four in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Let's take a look at why these camps were targeted.

Operation Sindoor: Markaz Taiba Camp

According to an official statement by the Indian government, the Markaz Taiba camp, 25 km from the de facto border, was the headquarters of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been linked to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the sole perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attack to be captured alive, was also allegedly trained at the facility. More than 160 people were killed in the attack on Mumbai.

Operation Sindoor: Markaz Subhan Camp

The target deepest in Pakistan, about 100 km from the border, the Markaz Subhan camp was the headquarters of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and was used for recruiting, training, and indoctrination, according to the Indian government.

Operation Sindoor: Why was Murdike Markaz Targeted?

The Muridke Markaz holds significant strategic and symbolic importance as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), one of Pakistan’s most notorious terrorist organisations. Located near Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the Markaz is often described as a “terror nursery” due to its extensive facilities dedicated to training, indoctrination, and recruitment of militants.

Spread over approximately 200 acres, Murdike Markaz functions as a self-sustaining township with mosques, educational institutions, residential quarters, and training grounds.

Established in the late 1980s by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed with support from Pakistan’s intelligence agency (ISI) and external funding, it has been the ideological, logistical, and operational hub for LeT’s jihadist activities.

The Muridke Markaz is infamous for its role in preparing terrorists involved in major attacks against India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where operatives like Ajmal Kasab received training there.

It serves not only as a training camp but also as a centre for radicalisation, with around 1,000 students enrolled annually in various courses aimed at promoting extremist ideology and militant skills.

The complex’s proximity to Lahore and its location on a major highway enable rapid deployment of trained militants. India's strike on Muridke during Operation Sindoor was a targeted effort to dismantle this critical terror infrastructure and send a strong message against cross-border terrorism.