Operation Sindoor: Which are the 9 targets India attacked and why?

The operation, codenamed 'Operation Sindoor', involved a tri-services deployment of air, naval, and land-based assets on four places in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

These places were chosen by the IAF after receiving intelligence inputs about terror camps operating under the guise of health centres to evade detection at these sites, officials said on Wednesday.

These anti-India terror camps operated by outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, among others, have been receiving covert aid from the Pakistan Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, said officials.

This support includes systematically coordinated financial, logistical, doctrinal, and military assistance, as well as direct combat training, they added.

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Pakistani military officers regularly visit and supervise sessions at training camps operated by these groups, which have been rebranded as The Resistance Front (TRF), People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), Kashmir Tigers (KT), etc., to evade global scrutiny and portray their terrorism as an indigenous resistance movement.

HQs of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen

The headquarters of globally banned terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba, besides Hizbul Mujahideen were targeted in these missile strikes by India.

The targeted sites also included Lashkar-e-Taiba training camps linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (including Ajmal Kasab's training) and the group's Muridke (Pakistan's Punjab) headquarters, visited by David Headley and Tahawwur Rana. Al Qaeda terrorist Osama bin Laden, killed in 2001, had donated Rs 10 lakh for the construction of a guest house there.

The selection of targets was done based on extensive intelligence, primarily due to Pakistan's changing strategies aimed at concealing terror camps and circumventing sanctions from international organisations, including the FATF.

The ministry of defence said that no Pakistani military installations were targeted. Instead, all sites were selected based on their verified use as operational centres by banned terrorist groups. Several training camps and launch pads targeted in Operation Sindoor are currently being run near army installations and cantonment areas, often under the guise of Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).

Out of the nine targets chosen by India for a precise operation, four were in Pakistan and the remaining five were in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

Also read: Pak PM Sharif terms Indian strikes on terror targets as 'act of war', vows to respond

These are the nine targets India attacked and why?

Markaz Subhan Allah at Bahawalpur

Operational since 2015, this is JeM’s main centre for training and indoctrination. It serves as the ideological and operational headquarters of JeM and is linked to planning terrorist operations such as the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019.

This location has historically hosted senior cadre training sessions. The facility also includes the homes of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar, and other family members. Masood Azhar has delivered many anti-India speeches here, calling on youth to join Islamic jihad like he did in December 2024.

JeM regularly conducts arms, physical, and religious training at this site.

Religious indoctrination and other support activities—such as funding, propaganda, and recruitment—are being carried out with institutional backing at these facilities deep inside Pakistan.

Sarjal at Tehra Kalan

Jaish-e-Mohammed camp at Sarjal Tehra Kalan in Narowal district in Pakistan's Punjab is the main launching pad for this terror group. And, it operates its deadly operations from a Primary Health Centre.

This camp is looked after by de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asgar. This facility, which is located six kilometres from the International border, near Samba sector of Jammu, is used for tunnel construction, drone operations, and smuggling of arms and narcotics.

Senior JeM leaders like Mohammad Adnan Ali and Kashif Jan frequent the site. Used as a pre-infiltration camp for newly recruited terrorists.

Also read: Operation Sindoor I 'It's a more assertive and riskier move, signalling a major shift'

Markaz Abbas in Kotli

This camp in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was selected because it is headed by Qari Zarrar or Hafiz Abdul Shakoor, a close aide of Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, and can house nearly 100-125 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists.

Zarar is wanted by the NIA. This facility is used for infiltration of terrorists from Poonch and Rajouri sectors, and all terror strikes are planned in this camp.

This camp serves as a hub for suicide bomber training and weapons distribution for POK-based terrorists.

Markaz Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad

Located opposite Red Fort in Muzaffarabad, this is JeM’s main centre in PoK. It serves as a transit camp for militants prior to their infiltration into J&K. It typically houses 50–100 operatives.

Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri heads the facility, which is also used by Indian fugitive Aashiq Nengroo and JeM commander Abdullah Jehadi. Special Services Group commandos of the Pakistan Army provide training to the JeM cadres at this site.

It is often used as infiltration points and training facilities for sleeper cells.

Markaz Taiba at Muridke

This camp is being dubbed as 'terror factor' and one of the most important training centres for Lashkar-e-Taiba, where recruits are brainwashed, given physical training and a two-week-long indoctrination course.

This 200-acre compound was one of the most fortified targets hit in the operation.

Also read: Indian missile strikes on Pakistan open up fearsome possibilities

Established in 2000 in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke (Sheikhupura, Punjab), Markaz Taiba is the main training centre of LeT. It provides arms training and religious indoctrination for recruits from within and outside Pakistan. Funding, propaganda, and recruitment are being carried out with institutional backing at these kind of facilities deep inside Pakistan.

Around 1,000 students in different courses get enrolled in this camp, they said. At the behest of Pakistan's ISI, all 10 terrorists, including Kasab, were imparted with 'Daura-e-Ribbat (intelligence training) at this facility.

Osama bin Laden reportedly financed the construction of a mosque and guesthouse within the complex. The facility trained the 26/11 Mumbai attackers, including Ajmal Kasab, and hosted conspirators such as David Headley.

Sawai Nala camp at Muzaffarabad in PoK

This is one of the important camps of the Lashkar-e-Taiba opened in 2000.

This is where the 26/11 attackers in Mumbai had ostensibly received training. The Pakistani army and ISI have been frequenting this camp, which can accommodate up to 200-250 terrorists at a time, said officials.

The terrorists from these camps infiltrate mainly into North Kashmir, they said, adding that this camp is also used for radicalisation and roping in fresh terror recruits. Largely used to infiltrate into India and for training sleeper cells.

Markaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli

Markaz Raheel Shahid at Kotli in PoK camp, which was hit by the IAF, is also used for the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists especially to train them in Border Action Team (BAT) and sniping attacks.

This facility capable of housing 150–200 militants specialises in arms training, sniping, BAT actions, and survival skills in hilly terrain. It is one of HM’s oldest operational centers in PoJK.

Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot

The Mehmoona Joya terror facility at Sialkot is concealed in a health unit, and it is used for the infiltration of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists into the Jammu region, besides being a camp where training, including handling of weapons, is given.

The camp, which has a presence of 30 terrorists, is headed by Irfan Tanda, who has been responsible for carrying out attacks in Jammu city. Though it is a lesser-known Hizbul Mujahideen training centre, it continues to be active despite the group's declining footprint in the Kashmir Valley.

Located within the Bhutta Kotli Government BHU in Head Marala, Sialkot District, this HM facility is used for infiltration into Jammu and commanded by Mohammad Irfan Khan, who has been linked to multiple attacks in Markaz Ahle Hadith at Barnala.

Cadres are trained here in weapon handling and terrorist tactics.

Markaz Ahle Hadith at Barnala in Pok

This facility, which is used by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, has the capacity to accommodate 100-150 cadres. It functions as a support facility and regional logistics hub.

Situated on Kote Jamel Road on the outskirts of Barnala, this LeT facility is used for infiltrating operatives and weapons into the Poonch–Rajouri–Reasi sector. It can house 100–150 cadres and functions as a staging ground for operations. LeT operatives like Qasim Gujjar, Qasim Khanda, and Anas Jarar operate from here, overseen by senior commanders.