India executed one of its most significant counter-terror operations in recent years—Operation Sindoor—a coordinated, multi-service strike that devastated key terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Among the most strategically important targets hit were Bahawalpur and Muridke, known for decades as the nerve centres of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) respectively.
The strikes came in direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists. In the days that followed, intelligence inputs and satellite reconnaissance helped identify nine terror sites—four in Pakistan and five in PoK—housing critical infrastructure used for recruitment, indoctrination, and training of terrorists. Bahawalpur and Muridke were high on that list.
Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Blast heard in Pakistan's Lahore amid tensions with India; flight ops suspended at Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot
Bahawalpur: The headquarter of Jaish-e-Mohammed
Bahawalpur, located around 100 km inside Pakistan’s Punjab province, has long been the ideological and operational epicentre of JeM.
At its heart lies the Markaz Subhan Allah, also referred to as Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, which has served as the primary headquarters of JeM since 2015, reported news agency ANI. It is reportedly a sprawling complex that houses the residences of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother and de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, and other close family members including Maulana Ammar.
This facility has been directly associated with major terrorist plots, most notably the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. At Bahawalpur, JeM has been known to conduct regular arms training, physical combat exercises, and intense indoctrination, targeting young recruits from across the region.
The precision missile strikes by Indian armed forces left this terror bastion in ruins. Satellite imagery accessed by Reuters and released by Maxar Technologies reveals extensive destruction: the mosque dome punctured, buildings collapsed, and debris scattered across the complex.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army said at a press briefing in Delhi, “It was the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, targeted by Indian Armed Forces.”
Muridke: Lashkar’s cradle of jihad
Muridke, located 18–25 km inside Pakistan, is Lashkar-e-Taiba’s terror front. At its core lies Markaz Taiba, a vast training and radicalisation complex established in 2000. Known as the ‘alma mater’ of LeT cadres, this centre has churned out hundreds of operatives each year, offering training in arms, physical endurance, and religious extremism, according to ANI.
The site has also attracted international terrorists. According to Indian officials, Ajmal Kasab—the only attacker captured alive in the 2008 Mumbai attacks—as well as David Headley, both trained at Markaz Taiba.
Post-strike visuals show widespread structural collapse, with several buildings flattened by the precision-guided munitions used during Operation Sindoor. This was not a random air raid. As Wing Commander Vyomika Singh stated, “The targets were based on credible intelligence inputs… selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives.”
Read more: Why strike on Muridke? The story of Pakistan's notorious terror nursery
Operation Sindoor: A coordinated & precise response
Operation Sindoor was carried out between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday, in a joint offensive by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The operation marked a tactical shift in India’s counter-terror response—moving beyond retaliatory strikes in PoK to deep-targeting key terror infrastructure well inside Pakistani territory.
Out of the nine terror sites destroyed, four were located in Pakistan—Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya—and the rest in PoK. According to Wing Commander Singh, these locations were part of a larger network of 21 indoctrination and launch pad centres spread across the region and maintained by Pakistan for over three decades.
(With inputs from ANI)
Among the most strategically important targets hit were Bahawalpur and Muridke, known for decades as the nerve centres of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) respectively.
The strikes came in direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists. In the days that followed, intelligence inputs and satellite reconnaissance helped identify nine terror sites—four in Pakistan and five in PoK—housing critical infrastructure used for recruitment, indoctrination, and training of terrorists. Bahawalpur and Muridke were high on that list.
Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Blast heard in Pakistan's Lahore amid tensions with India; flight ops suspended at Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot
Bahawalpur: The headquarter of Jaish-e-Mohammed
Bahawalpur, located around 100 km inside Pakistan’s Punjab province, has long been the ideological and operational epicentre of JeM.
At its heart lies the Markaz Subhan Allah, also referred to as Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, which has served as the primary headquarters of JeM since 2015, reported news agency ANI. It is reportedly a sprawling complex that houses the residences of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother and de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, and other close family members including Maulana Ammar.
Satellite pics from Maxar Technologies show damage caused by Indian missile strikes on Jamia Mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan before (Pic 1) and after (Pic 1,2,3) the strike.
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2025
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/9HaBdaBo66
This facility has been directly associated with major terrorist plots, most notably the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. At Bahawalpur, JeM has been known to conduct regular arms training, physical combat exercises, and intense indoctrination, targeting young recruits from across the region.
The precision missile strikes by Indian armed forces left this terror bastion in ruins. Satellite imagery accessed by Reuters and released by Maxar Technologies reveals extensive destruction: the mosque dome punctured, buildings collapsed, and debris scattered across the complex.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army said at a press briefing in Delhi, “It was the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, targeted by Indian Armed Forces.”
#WATCH | Satellite pics from Maxar Technologies show damage caused by Indian missile strikes on Jamia Mosque in Bahawalpur and the city of Muridke, Pakistan, before and after the strike.
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2025
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/6idaYwwjOW
Muridke: Lashkar’s cradle of jihad
Muridke, located 18–25 km inside Pakistan, is Lashkar-e-Taiba’s terror front. At its core lies Markaz Taiba, a vast training and radicalisation complex established in 2000. Known as the ‘alma mater’ of LeT cadres, this centre has churned out hundreds of operatives each year, offering training in arms, physical endurance, and religious extremism, according to ANI.
The site has also attracted international terrorists. According to Indian officials, Ajmal Kasab—the only attacker captured alive in the 2008 Mumbai attacks—as well as David Headley, both trained at Markaz Taiba.
Satellite pics from Maxar Technologies show damage caused by Indian missile strikes on the city of Muridke, Pakistan, before (Pic 1) and after (Pic 2) the strike.
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2025
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/iiZj4wybwc
Post-strike visuals show widespread structural collapse, with several buildings flattened by the precision-guided munitions used during Operation Sindoor. This was not a random air raid. As Wing Commander Vyomika Singh stated, “The targets were based on credible intelligence inputs… selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives.”
Read more: Why strike on Muridke? The story of Pakistan's notorious terror nursery
Operation Sindoor: A coordinated & precise response
Operation Sindoor was carried out between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday, in a joint offensive by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The operation marked a tactical shift in India’s counter-terror response—moving beyond retaliatory strikes in PoK to deep-targeting key terror infrastructure well inside Pakistani territory.
Out of the nine terror sites destroyed, four were located in Pakistan—Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya—and the rest in PoK. According to Wing Commander Singh, these locations were part of a larger network of 21 indoctrination and launch pad centres spread across the region and maintained by Pakistan for over three decades.
(With inputs from ANI)
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