In a significant counter-terrorism move, India executed overnight precision airstrikes that demolished nine terrorist training camps operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The operations targeted locations deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), dealing a strategic blow to cross-border terrorism.
The coordinated aerial assault was detailed by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. They emphasized the use of advanced targeting systems and specialized munitions that ensured surgical precision with zero civilian casualties.
Among the high-profile sites struck in Pakistan were Sarjal camp in Sialkot, Mehmoona Joya near the border, the infamous Markaz Taiba in Muridke, and Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur. In POK, India targeted key camps including Sawai Nala and Syedna Bilal in Muzaffarabad, Gulpur and Abbas in Kotli, and the Barnala camp in Bhimber.
The Sawai Nala facility in Muzaffarabad, roughly 18 miles from the Line of Control (LoC), was a vital Lashkar training hub responsible for recent attacks in Gulmarg, Sonmarg, and Pahalgam. Nearby, the Syedna Bilal camp served as a launch base for Jaish operatives trained in explosives and guerrilla tactics.
In Kotli district, about 19 miles from the LoC, the Gulpur camp functioned as a Lashkar base for operations in the Rajauri-Poonch region and was linked to deadly strikes in 2023 and an attack on a pilgrim bus. Intelligence suggests that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, architect of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, used this camp for ideological indoctrination. The Abbas camp in Kotli, around 8 miles from the border, specialized in training suicide bombers and could accommodate up to 50 operatives.
The Barnala facility in Bhimber, located just 5.5 miles from the LoC, provided weapons and jungle warfare training to new recruits.
Across the International Border in Pakistan, Sarjal camp in Sialkot—4 miles from the boundary—was linked to the deadly ambush of four policemen in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year. Mehmoona Joya, about 7.5 miles from the border, operated under Hizbul Mujahideen and was connected to the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack.
Further inland, the Markaz Taiba headquarters in Muridke—15.5 miles from the border—was the base where Ajmal Kasab and David Headley were trained. Finally, Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, about 62 miles from the border, served as Jaish-e-Mohammad’s nerve center for recruitment and indoctrination, regularly visited by Masood Azhar.
Officials affirmed that no military installations were targeted, and there were no reports of unintended damage. They highlighted that the operation demonstrated India’s ability to eliminate terror threats with remarkable precision.
