Operation Sindoor: The what, where and how of India’s precision missile strikes on Pakistan’s terrorist infrastructure to avenge Pahalgam
India on Wednesday carried out precision strikes aimed at the terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Nine sites were selected for Operation Sindoor, and all nine were reported to be successful. The operation was named Operation Sindoor to mark the barbarity of the Pahalgam attack by Pakistani terrorists on April 22, where Hindu male tourists were asked their religion and shot down while their wives and children watched.
The Pakistan Army, backed by its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been supporting, financing and sheltering the activities of anti-India terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen, among others and has systematically coordinated financial, logistics, doctrinal and military support to these outfits including providing direct combat trainings.
These terrorist groups have been provided with infrastructure concealed in government facilities to carry out their operations in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK). Several training camps (Markaz), and Launch Pads of these terror outfits are currently being run near army facilities.
While Launch pads are extensively used for staging / arms training activities, religious indoctrination and other support activities such as funding, propaganda, expansion etc. are being carried out with backing of Pak Establishment in larger facilities that are located well-inside Pakistan.
The Pakistani Army acknowledged the attacks, declaring that Pakistan will retaliate.
Pakistani Army’s alert notice
On target for the precision strike were both the Markaz Taiba (a Lashkar stronghold) in Muridke and the Markaz Subhan Allah (the headquarters of the Jaish) in Bahawalpur. These Markaz not only serve as residences to major commanders of the outfits but also serve as epi-centre for radicalization and various training courses on intelligence, arms handling etc.
Pakistani news channels have reported that the Jaish-e-Muhammad headquarters in Bahawalpur, run from a madarsa, has been completely destroyed, and the sky looks red due to flames.
Additionally, the commanders of terrorist groups have used these facilities (Markaz) to deliver anti-India rhetoric to masses in order to motivate the recruits for Jihad against India such as in Dec, 2024.
Sources have also confirmed the 9 locations were selectively targeted with the aim of destroying this anti-India Terror network. Among the targets for Wednesday’s precision strike were:
1.Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur, operational since 2015, is main centre of JeM for training and indoctrination and serves as operational headquarter of JeM. It is associated with terrorist plannings by JeM including Pulwama attack on Feb 14, 2019. The Markaz consists of residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, 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.
2. Markaz Taiba, Muridke, established in the year 2000, Markaz Taiba is the ‘alma mater’ and the most important training centre of LeT located in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke, Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan. 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 thereby highlighting the role of this Markaz in churning out terror entities for LeT annually. Osama Bin Laden had financed Rs 10 million for construction of Mosque & Guest House within the Markaz Taiba complex. At the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, all the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attack including Ajmal Kasab were imparted ‘Daura-e-Ribbat’ (intelligence training) at this facility. David Coleman Headley & Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had visited Muridke along with Abdul Rehman Sayed @ Pasha, Haroon and Khurram (coconspirators) on instructions of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
3.Sarjal / Tehra Kalan, located in the Shakargarh Tehsil of Narowal District in Punjab, Pakistan, is main launching facility of Jaishe-Mohammad (JeM) for infiltration of terrorists into JK. As part of concerted strategy of Pak- ISI to conceal terror infrastructure in government buildings, Sarjal facility is being operated from the premises of a Primary Health Center (PHC) in Tehra Kalan Village of Sarjal area. This JeM facility holds special prominence due to its close proximity of around 06 km from IB in Samba Sector of Jammu, J&K.
This facility serves as the base for the digging of cross-border tunnels for infiltration of terrorists. It also serves as the launching base for drones by which arms/ammunition/narcotics and warlike stores are dropped into Indian territory. JeM terrorists Mohammad Adnan Ali @ Doctor and Kashif Jan regularly visit this facility and JeM de-facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar supervises overall operations of this facility. This facility is actively being used by JeM to infiltrate terrorists and for smuggling arms & ammunition into India.
4. Mehmoona Joya Facility, Sialkot: As another example of Pak-ISI establishing terror facilities in government buildings, Mehmoona Joya facility of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) is located in premises of Bhutta Kotli Govt. This facility is used for infiltration of HM cadres into Jammu region of JK. HM cadres are also given training for terrorist operations and handling of weapons by the senior commanders at this facility. Mohd. Irfan Khan also known as Irfan Tanda is commander of this HM facility. Around 20 – 25 terrorists are usually present at this facility at any point of time overseeing infiltration bids and terrorist operations in India.
5. Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala, Bhimber, located at outskirts of Barnala town on Kote Jamel road, is prominent Marjaz of LeT in PoJK and is used for infiltration of LeT terrorists and arms/ammunition into Poonch – RajauriReasi sector. This Markaz is also utilized as staging centre for LeT terrorists before infiltrating into Indian territory. It can accommodate 100 -150 cadres. LeT terror operatives Qasim Gujjar @ Mahrore, Qasim Khanda and Anas Jarar operate from this Markaz and reside in its vicinity. Operational commanders of LeT visit this Markaz for organizing and supervising terrorist activities of LeT / Jamaat-ud-Dawa /Jammu & Kashmir United Movement.
6. Markaz Abbas, Kotli, is an important terror facility of JeM located in Kotli. Hafiz Abdul Shakoor @ Qari Zarrar, ‘shura member’ of JeM Council and close associate of JeM top commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, is head of this Markaz. Qari Zarrar is directly involved in planning and execution of terrorist attacks in J&K and is wanted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India. Markaz Abbas can accommodate around 100 – 125 JeM cadres. JeM’s terror activities including infiltration of cadres from the Poonch – Rajouri sectors are planned and executed from this facility.
7. . Maskar Raheel Shahid, Kotli, PoJK, is one of the oldest facilities of HM. It can accommodate around 150 – 200 HM terrorists. HM terrorists visit this facility particularly for taking arms firing training and specialized physical training. In addition to providing conventional arms / physical training, this Camp specializes in training cadres for BAT/ sniping actions and fighting in hilly area & survival training.
8. Shawai Nallah Camp, Muzaffarabad Shawai Nallah Camp, also known as Bait-ul-Mujahideen, is located near Chelabandi bridge on Muzaffarabad-Neelum Road, Muzaffarabad, PoJK. It is one of the most important camps of LeT. Attackers of 26/11 Mumbai Attack including Ajmal Kasab had received terrorist training in this Camp. This camp is used for recruitment, registration and training of LeT cadres and has been functional since early 2000. It is used as base camp for imparting Daura-e-Aam training, which includes religious indoctrination, physical training, tactical training regarding use of GPS, map reading and arms training for rifles and grenades. Pak-ISI also facilitates by providing trainers of Pak Army to provide weapons training to LeT terrorists. It is a large training camp which can accommodate 200-250 LeT cadres at a time. This camp is also utilized as staging camp for LeT terrorists before infiltrating into Indian territory. LeT terrorists camping here are sent to launching facilities located opposite North Kashmir.
9. Markaz Syedna Bilal, located opposite Red Fort, Muzaffarabad. This facility is used as transit camp for JeM terrorists prior to their launching into JK. At any point of time 50-100 cadres resides in this facility. JeM operational commander and JeM head of PoJK, Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri is in-charge of the facility. Abdullah Jehadi@ Abdullah Kashmiri and Aashiq Nengroo (Indian Fugitive) also operate from this centre. Commandos of Special Service Group (SSG) of Pak Army also impart training to JeM cadres at this facility.
Indian Armed Forces successfully struck these nine terror targets, four in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), using special precision munitions in a coordinated operation, sources told ANI.
The operation was jointly carried out by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, with the mobilisation of assets and troops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was constantly monitoring Operation Sindoor throughout the night, sources confirmed to ANI.
Reports say that all the Indian aircraft and the pilots who participated in the precision strike are accounted for, and are safe. Though details of the strike are yet to become fully clear, it is reported that it was a tri-service coordination. Assets of Indian Navy, Indian Army and Indian Air Force were used in coordination to launch and carry out the attacks. Loitering munitions and drones have also been used.
The Indian Ministry of Defence has made it clear that the targets were terrorist camps and no Pakistani military establishments have been hit. A detailed press briefing will be carried out in Delhi later today.
(With inputs from ANI)
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