Operation Sindoor: Headquarters of terror training in Pakistan, Jaish-e-Muhammad’s Markaz Subhan Allah destroyed by India
On the intervening night of 6th and 7th May, India launched precision missile strikes on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan as part of Operation Sindoor, avenging the recent Pahalgam attack on Hindu pilgrims. Nine targets were hit in the coordinated offensive, all of which were successfully neutralised. One of the most significant targets was Markaz Subhan Allah, which is the operational headquarters of the banned terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Headquarters of indoctrination and terror training
Markaz Subhan Allah is located near Karachi Mor on NH-5 and spread over 15 acres. It functioned as JeM’s central hub for training and radicalisation. It has been directly linked to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. The terrorists involved in the attack received ideological and combat training within the compound.
The facility hosted around 600 terrorists affiliated with the outfit. It included residences of JeM’s key figures, including its founder Maulana Masood Azhar and his de facto successor Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar. In the past few years, the complex expanded under the watch of the Pakistani government and added facilities for the terrorists living in the compound, including a gym, swimming pool, horse stables, and even an “Al Hijama” centre used for cadre conditioning.
Weapons, rhetoric and international links
It is believed that JeM-affiliated terrorists at this Markaz received weapons smuggled from Afghanistan, including leftover NATO M4 rifles. The site also served as a meeting point for JeM’s Afghan commanders and a launch pad for jihadi attacks, including those carried out by the close relatives of Masood Azhar.
The Markaz was partially funded by Pakistan’s provincial and federal governments and partially by donors from Gulf, African nations, and even from UK. As recently as November 2024, Masood Azhar publicly called for “revenge for Babri Masjid” from within the compound.
By striking such an important location for the terror outfit operating from Pakistan, India has sent a clear message that any attack on India’s sovereignty, its people, and national security will not go unanswered.
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