JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen have been observed shifting westward. (Representational)
- Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen are establishing new bases deep inside Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- On May 7, India executed strikes targeting an array of terror infrastructure across PoK and Pakistan
- With PoK now under sustained Indian scrutiny, JeM and HM have been observed shifting westward
Following India's Operation Sindoor, which targeted and destroyed nine major terrorist hideouts across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and mainland Pakistan, groups long embedded in the country have begun relocating. Terrorist organisations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) are establishing new bases deep inside Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, near the Afghan frontier.
On May 7, India executed strikes targeting an array of well-known terror infrastructure across PoK and Pakistan's Punjab. Using stand-off precision missiles, the Indian Air Force and Army hit a network of facilities belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The 9 Targets
Markaz Subhanallah (Bahawalpur, Punjab): A 15-acre JeM headquarters long associated with recruitment, training and indoctrination. It housed JeM leaders, including Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, brother of Masood Azhar, and was tied to the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Markaz Taiba (Muridke, Punjab): The sprawling 82-acre Lashkar complex that produced Ajmal Kasab and others behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Funded partly by Osama bin Laden, the centre has served as LeT's ideological and military hub since 2000.
Sarjal/Tehra Kalan Facility (Narowal District): A JeM launch site near Jammu's Samba sector, used for tunnel-building and drone operations. Hidden inside a primary health centre, it underscores the ISI's tactic of embedding facilities within state structures.
Mehmoona Joya Facility (Sialkot): A Hizbul base for infiltration into Jammu, overseen by Mohd Irfan Khan alias Irfan Tanda, tied to the 1995 Maulana Azad Stadium blasts.
Markaz Ahle Hadith (Barnala, PoJK): An LeT staging ground for the Poonch-Rajouri sector. Terrorists linked to the 2023 Dhangri and 2024 Reasi civilian killings operated from here.
Markaz Abbas (Kotli, PoJK): A JeM base led by veteran commander Qari Zarrar, directly involved in the 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack.
Maskar Raheel Shahid (Kotli, PoJK): An HM camp providing BAT (Border Action Team) and sniper training, previously supervised by HM chief Syed Salahuddin.
Shawai Nallah Camp (Muzaffarabad, PoJK): A major LeT camp offering Daura-e-Aam training and GPS, map-reading and weapons instruction.
Syedna Bilal Markaz (Muzaffarabad, PoJK): A JeM transit facility linked to Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri and Indian fugitive Aashiq Nengroo.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Retreat
With PoK now under sustained Indian scrutiny, JeM and HM have been observed shifting westward. According to intelligence sources, both organisations are entrenching themselves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The province's mountainous terrain, coupled with porous borders with Afghanistan, offers natural concealment. Many areas still contain hideouts built during the anti-Soviet Afghan war of the 1980s and during the American invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. The depth of the terrain provides resilience against aerial strikes, unlike PoK where India has proven reach.
Terror Recruitment Drive
On September 14, hours before the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket clash, Jaish launched what it described as a religious event in Garhi Habibullah in Mansehra district, roughly 190 km from the capital Islamabad. Its true purpose was recruitment.
The event was headlined by Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, also known as Abu Mohammad. From the stage, Kashmiri praised Osama bin Laden, proclaimed KPK as a "stronghold of Mujahideen", and said that Pakistan's army regularly attends funerals of JeM fighters.
Intelligence sources say that Pakistani army cadres stood among the crowd while police provided security.
Jaish is now preparing a larger gathering in Peshawar on September 25. To evade international scrutiny, it plans to use the new name Al-Murabitun -- Arabic for "the guardians".
Hizbul Mujahideen too has resurfaced in KPK. The group has established a training camp in Bandai in Lower Dir district, which is roughly 250 km from Islamabad, christened HM 313. The name draws inspiration from both the Battle of Badr of 624 AD, where 313 fighters are said to have accompanied Prophet Muhammad, and Al-Qaeda's Brigade 313.
The land for HM 313 was purchased in August 2024. By September 2025, construction of walls and training facilities was underway.
Who Is Behind The Resurgence
At the heart of Jaish's resurgence in KPK is Masood Ilyas Kashmiri. Born in Rawalkot, PoK, he joined Jaish in 2001. He fought NATO forces in Afghanistan during the early 2000s and masterminded the 2018 Sunjwan Army Camp attack in Jammu.
He now serves as JeM's emir for both KPK and Kashmir and oversees PAFF (People's Anti-Fascist Front), a Lashkar-Jaish front group often used for attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
KPK's Rising Violence
A report by the provincial police notes 605 terror incidents in KPK between January and August 2025. These attacks killed 138 civilians and injured 352. Among security forces, 79 Pakistani police personnel were killed and 130 injured.
August alone recorded 129 incidents, including the killing of six Pakistan Army and paramilitary Federal Constabulary personnel. Districts most affected include Bannu (42 attacks), North Waziristan (15), South Waziristan (14) and Dir (11), the report stated.
In June, the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies documented 78 attacks, leaving 100 dead and 189 wounded. The casualties included 53 security personnel and 39 civilians.
