New Delhi, May 7 – Pakistan Army is backed by its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which has been covertly supporting anti–India terrorist outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). The ISI has systematically coordinated financial, logistics, doctrinal, and military support to these groups, even providing direct combat training. Following Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sanctions, Pakistan’s military has rebranded these groups with new names like The Resistance Front (TRF), People Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), and Kashmir Tiger (KT), to avoid global scrutiny and present terrorism as an indigenous movement. Pakistani military officers regularly visit training camps to supervise sessions, while terrorist infrastructure is often concealed within government facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Several training camps and launch pads are operated near army facilities, cantonments, and even within Basic Health Units (BHU) and Primary Health Centers (PHC), such as Sarjal – Tehra Kalan (JeM) and Mehmoona Joya – Sialkot (HM). These facilities provide camouflage for terrorist activities. Terrorists are equipped with military-grade communication tools like Long Range (LoRa) sets and Digital Mobile Radios (DMR) to bypass technical surveillance. Pakistan’s military also enhances Pak-TSP signal strength across the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) to support infiltrated terrorists. High-frequency setups in these detachments coordinate with militants inside India. While arms training and religious indoctrination occur near borders, major activities like propaganda, funding, and expansion are conducted from large facilities deep within Pakistan, such as Markaz Taiba (LeT) in Muridke and Markaz Subhan Allah (JeM) in Bahawalpur.
Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, operational since 2015, is JeM’s primary indoctrination and operational headquarters. It has housed key leaders like JeM chief Masood Azhar and his family, and was linked to the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019. The centre regularly hosts physical, arms, and religious training. Markaz Taiba in Muridke, established in 2000, is LeT’s main training facility, known for radicalizing students and providing terrorist training. Osama bin Laden helped finance construction within this complex. Key conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks were trained or visited this facility.
Sarjal Tehra Kalan, a key JeM launch site, operates from a PHC in Narowal District near the IB in the Samba sector of Jammu. It is used for tunneling into India and launching drone-based weapon drops. JeM leaders such as Mohammad Adnan Ali and Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar supervise operations here. Similarly, the Mehmoona Joya facility of HM operates from a BHU in Sialkot District and is responsible for infiltration and training of HM terrorists. The facility hosts 20–25 terrorists at a time and is led by commander Mohd Irfan Khan ‘Tanda’.
Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala, located near Kote Jamel road in PoJK, is a LeT staging ground for infiltrations into India’s Rajouri-Reasi and Poonch sectors. It houses 100–150 cadres and is managed by operatives like Qasim Gujjar and Anas Jarar. Markaz Abbas in Kotli, another JeM facility, is led by Qari Zarrar and facilitates terrorist planning and infiltration from Poonch–Rajouri. The facility can host 100–125 terrorists and is a major node in JeM operations.
Maskar Raheel Shahid in Kotli District is one of the oldest HM training camps, accommodating 150–200 cadres. It specializes in physical and arms training, sniping, and survival tactics in hilly terrain. Shawai Nallah camp in Muzaffarabad, also called Bait-ul-Mujahideen, is a major LeT training and recruitment base. It trained 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab and offers courses in religious indoctrination, arms training, and tactical skills. Pakistani Army trainers support training efforts at this large facility, which can house 200–250 cadres.
Markaz Syedna Bilal in Muzaffarabad serves as a JeM transit camp for launching attacks into Jammu and Kashmir. Housing 50–100 cadres at a time, the camp is overseen by Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri and supported by JeM operatives like Abdullah Jehadi. The Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistani Army also provides specialized training here.
