Operation Sindoor targets JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur: Read how it was the first princely state to join Pakistan during partition, supported Muslim League
India launched “Operation Sindoor” in the wee hours of 7th May to target terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Indian government declared the strikes “focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature” in a statement released at 2 am. The government stated that the development, which followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 Hindu lives, struck terrorist infrastructure in the neighbouring country, where assaults against India have been organized and carried out.
All three armed forces participated in the coordinated operation which was directed against nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and lasted for 25 minutes, commencing at 1:04 am. These included Bahawalpur and Mudrike, which are the bases of the terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), respectively. Pakistan also confirmed attacks on nine locations including Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, Bhimber and Kotli. The jihadist outfits of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the two terrorist groups that have carried out major assaults on Indian territory over the previous thirty years were the primary targets of the extraordinary action.
India hits Pakistan-based terror camps. (Source: India Today)
The nine locations chosen for the operation were all linked to significant terror plots and infiltration efforts against India. These spots were chosen by India based on an analysis of their cumulative importance to the terrorist ecosystem on both sides of the India-Pakistan border.
JeM headquarters at Bahawalpur
Pakistan’s 12th largest city, Bahawalpur which is located in southern Punjab, is home to Jaish-e-Mohammad. It was one of the main targets of the strikes. The group has been implicated in and claimed responsibility for multiple high-profile assaults in India including the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019 and the 2001 Parliament attack. Its operating base is at the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah complex, also called the Usman-o-Ali campus, which is roughly 400 kilometers from Lahore.
A former religious trainer of Markaz Usman-o-Ali, Maulana Rafiqullah has been chief instructor there since the middle of 2022. It is situated across Khajuwala in Bikaner, Rajasthan, approximately 100.4 kilometers away from International Border (IB).
The Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah complex was one of the locations targeted by India. The campus, reportedly covering 18 acres, is identified as the central hub for JeM’s recruitment, fundraising, and indoctrination activities. Mohammad Masood Azhar Alvi alias Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of JeM, was born in Bahawalpur and resides in a complex that is tightly guarded. Officially outlawed in 2002, the outfit gained complete operational independence to manage its camp, therefore negating the punitive punishment. A total of 10 members of Azhar’s family have been reported dead after India’s strikes, among other casualties.
JeM camp is within a few miles from Pakistan’s 31 Corps headquarters, an army cantonment, according to a report in India Today. There are also reports of a secret nuclear site there. The closeness to the cantonment has been interpreted as evidence of the ISI’s (Inter-Services Intelligence) protection and assistance to the organisation.
JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur. (Source: India Today)
Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah: The mosque, masquerading as a seminary, received funding from the Al-Rahmat Trust which serves as a front for the JeM. It was a simple building till 2011, however, the mosque was transformed into an extensive complex with training facilities by 2012. Bahawalpur’s satellite imagery showcased an 18-acre complex that was undergoing sporadic development and construction. The establishment featured a madrassa for more than 600 pupils (trainees) as well as a large central mosque. It also had a gym, horse stables and a swimming pool, as per reports.
Bahawalpur chose Pakistan during partition
Bahawalpur which is a part of the Punjab states was an Indian princely state. Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi established the state in 1802, just as the Durrani Empire, the final Afghan empire, was disintegrating. On 22nd February 1833, Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi III, his successor, forged the state’s first “subsidiary alliance” with the British. While the British retained the final word over exterior affairs, this pact ensured his domestic dominance. Bahawalpur, while fundamentally a protectorate, was not officially classified as a British possession and upheld its position as a Feudatory State in the country.
Every princely state in the subcontinent was offered the option to join either India or Pakistan at the time of the partition. India offered several incentives to Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V but on 5th October 1947, he signed a deal to become the first state to join Pakistan. The primary factors were, of course, his personal friendship with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the Islamic Republic and their similar Islamic views, which were shared by the majority of the people in the state.
Indian kingdoms were offered the choice to join India or Pakistan after British suzerainty ended in August 1947. On 7th October 1947, Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur led the city and princely state of Bahawalpur to become a part of Pakistan. A significant portion of the population in Multan, located in southern Punjab, aligned with the Pakistan Peoples Party whereas the area surrounding Bahawalpur was recognized for its allegiance to the Pakistan Muslim League, based on Pakistan government.
Image via Bahawalpur (punjab.gov.pk)
The Pakistani government also benefited greatly from the assistance of Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan V. He donated his own property to the University of the Punjab, King Edward Medical College and the Mosque of Aitchison College in Lahore. He also provided the government with seventy million rupees, sourced from the Bahawalpur state treasury, in addition to the monthly salaries of all government departments.
He represented Pakistan at the coronation of Elizabeth II and the installation of Faisal II of Iraq in 1953. Although Nawab Sadiq Muhammad earned a one-year stipend and continued to use the title (Nawab) and protocol both inside as well as outside of Pakistan, his official duty expired in 1955 when he joined the province of West Pakistan.
Notably, the accession document, which was signed by the two leaders, stipulated that the state must maintain its independence and distinct identity inside the Pakistani federation. However, with the creation of One Unit on 14th October 1955, it was combined into the province of West Pakistan. Afterward, it was merged in the Punjab province following the breakup of One Unit, in defiance of the terms of the accession agreement and against the wishes of the local populace.
Bahawalpur has a very rich history and culture, yet it is currently an impoverished and backward area. Despite the existence of several esteemed educational institutions, the general populace is ignorant and uneducated. Women’s literacy rates are quite low. The majority of people reside in rural areas, which lack basic services including jobs, healthcare, and education. Most people work in agriculture, which is in appalling shape because of its low yield. People of Bahawalpur believe that their ill fortune is the result of the actions of prominent Punjabi leaders. Another primary reason is, the subsequent governments and leaders of Pakistan, to this date, have been prioritising radical Islam over development.
Link between JeM and Bahawalpur
The JeM chief is believed to have traveled to Afghanistan to obtain the approval of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before beginning his terror operations. The ISI provided his organization with funds for tours in addition to infrastructure assistance. The HuM (Harkat-ul-Mujahideen) cadres were the group’s initial source of recruits. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are reportedly the locations of JeM’s terror training camps while the Bahawalpur headquarters serves primarily for recruitment, fundraising and ideological indoctrination.
It is speculated that weaponry, including remaining NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) M4 rifles were brought to this facility by JeM-affiliated terrorists from Afghanistan. Furthermore, the location functioned as a gathering place for JeM’s Afghan commanders and a launch pad for jihadi assaults, including those executed by Azhar’s close relatives. It was partially financed by the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan as well as by donations from the United Kingdom, the Gulf and other African countries. Azhar publicly demanded “revenge for Babri Masjid” from within the compound as recently as November 2024.
The Pakistani government declared that it had assumed administrative authority of the Bahawalpur headquarters, in response to international pressure following the 2019 Pulwama attack. Indian observers and intelligence sources brushed off the Punjab government’s appointment of an administrator to oversee the establishment, pointing out that Azhar had fled Bahawalpur and was now protected by the Pakistani military.
It is important to remember that a flight operated by Indian Airlines was hijacked by five Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorists on 24th December 1999. The plane, which was carrying 190 passengers and crew from Kathmandu to Delhi was diverted to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and then under Taliban-commanded Kandahar in Afghanistan. They demanded that three terrorists, Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh and Mushtaq Zargar be released in exchange for the hostages and India complied on 31st October following long negotiations.
Azhar, a global terrorist designated by the United Nations, has not been seen in the public since April 2019. According to officials, he founded JeM in January 2000 with support from Osama bin Laden, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan and other Sunni sectarian groups in Pakistan.
India hits terror bases in Operation Sindoor
Muridke, Lashkar-e-Taiba Base and Training Ground: Muridke is the long-standing headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its philanthropic front, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, located about 40 kilometers north of Lahore. The building, which spans more than 200 acres, consists of training grounds, indoctrination centres and logistical support infrastructure. LeT has orchestrated major terrorist strikes in India including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The twrrorists behind the deadly 26/11 were trained there.
Kotli, Bomber Training and Terror Launch Base: India has regularly identified Kotli, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as a key and suicide bomber training camp. Sources revealed that the Kotli complex could accommodate more than 50 trainees at one time.
Gulpur, Launchpad for Attacks in Rajouri and Poonch: Gulpur was frequently utilized in 2023 and 2024 as an advance launchpad for terror operations into Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources disclosed that the location served as a staging ground for terrorists who attacked civilian targets and Indian security convoys in nearby areas.
Sawai, LeT Camp Linked to Kashmir Valley Attacks: Attacks in northern Kashmir, specifically in Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, have been connected to Sawai.
Sarjal and Barnala, Infiltration Routes: Sarjal and Barnala are regarded as entry locations for infiltration because of their proximity to the International Border and the Line of Control.
Mehmoona, Hizbul Mujahideen Presence: Hizbul Mujahideen has historically operated in Kashmir via the Mehmoona camp which is close to Sialkot. Indian officials insisted that despite the group’s recent fall, remnants continue to be educated and guided from across the border, especially from places like Mehmoona where local support networks are still in place.
The Army, Navy and Air Force coordinated these strikes together, signifying the first operation following the 1971 India-Pakistan war which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh.
Pakistan-backed terrorists massacred Hindu tourists in Pahalgam
Terrorists backed by Pakistan killed 26 Hindu tourists and wounded several others in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on 22nd April after ascertaining their religious identity. The attackers asked for their names, identity cards and even forced them to take off their pants to verify their religious beliefs. The non-Muslims were then brutally murdered after they were asked to recite passages from the Islamic faith. This was confirmed by their family, relatives and many eyewitnesses.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based LeT substitute, first claimed responsibility for the attack but later claimed that an unapproved message was issued on one of their digital channels due to a “coordinated cyber intrusion.” Pakistan has categorically denied any participation in the incident, however, the perpetrators underwent top-tier military training there. The training received by the Pakistani Special Service Group allowed them to carry out their terror plans in Jammu and Kashmir with success.
Three terrorists, including Hashim Musa, a para-commando in Pakistan’s Special Service Group, were responsible for the Pahalgam incident. He joined Lashkar-e-Taiba and has since been involved in additional terrorist attacks. He penetrated into India in 2023.
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