Following Operation Sindoor, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has shifted a large part of its operational and training network deeper into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, moving away from Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to shield itself from future Indian strikes.
Satellite imagery and ground visuals confirm that Lashkar-e-Taiba is building a new facility, Markaz Jihad-e-Aqsa, in the Lower Dir district, located just 47 km from the Afghan border. The construction is believed to have started in July 2025, two months after the Indian Army destroyed the Markaz Ahle Hadith base at Bhimber-Barnala during Operation Sindoor. The new facility will reportedly host LeT’s Jaan-e-Fidai Fidayeen unit, as per a TOI report.
The centre will be headed by Nasr Javed, a key figure accused of masterminding the 2006 Hyderabad blasts. LeT is also expanding its existing infrastructure at Markaz-e-Khyber, Garhi Habibullah, and Batrasi.
The new Lashkar base is located barely 4 km from facilities linked to Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), signaling a consolidation of Pakistan-based terror outfits in the region.
Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen Are Also Shifting Their bases
Earlier reports suggested that terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) have been shifting their bases from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), closer to the Afghanistan border.
Reports indicate that JeM is expanding its training facility, Markaz Shohada-e-Islam, in Mansehra, KPK. Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen, under the leadership of ex-Special Services Group commando Khalid Khan, has begun building a new camp named HM-313 in Bandai, KPK. Construction reportedly commenced soon after Indian forces conducted precision strikes during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
Operation Sindoor
The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. In this overnight operation, nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were precisely targeted, badly damaging infrastructure used by groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Reports indicate that over 100 militants were killed in the strikes.
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