Months After Operation Sindoor, Jaish Seeks Funds To Rebuild Headquarters

Terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which is linked to several high-profile attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, suffered a major setback when its headquarters in Pakistan's Bahawalpur was destroyed in airstrikes during Operation Sindoor in May this year. 

Nearly three months later, the Maulana Masood Azhar-led organisation has begun a campaign to raise funds and rebuild its terror camp for recruitment and training, "in a bid to transform many parts of the earth into paradise".

Bahawalpur, located around 100 km inside Pakistan's southern Punjab province, has long been the ideological and operational centre of the terror group. 

According to a post shared in Urdu on social media, the JeM has sought donations "discreetly" for the revival of its headquarters - Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah - that was once a sprawling complex and home to Azhar, his brother and de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar and other family members. It also said that everyone should work together for the success of the campaign that kicked off on Wednesday. 

Since its establishment in 2015, Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah served as the primary hub for JeM, functioning as both its operational headquarters and a key training facility. 

Bahawalpur was one of the primary targets during Operation Sindoor. The precision strikes caused extensive damage to the structures, which was even confirmed by Maxar satellite images accessed and analysed by NDTV. 

The 56-year-old JeM chief claimed that 10 members of his family and four of his aides were killed in the operation. A statement attributed to Azhar, who was arrested in India in 1994 and released after the Air India IC 814 hijack, said that those killed in the strike were his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from the extended family.

Azhar, listed as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council, is wanted in India for several attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes. In 208, the Union Government declared him a terrorist after the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was amended to declare individuals as terrorists too, not just organisations.

He was also involved in the conspiracy behind several other attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, 2016 Pathankot attack and 2019 Pulwama attack. While it is an open secret that the terrorist is in Pakistan, Islamabad has repeatedly denied having information about him.

"Ten members of my family were blessed with this happiness together tonight... five are innocent children, my elder sister, her honorable husband. My scholar Fazil bhanje (nephew) and his wife and my beloved scholar Fazilah (niece) ... my dear brother Huzaifah and his mother. Two more dear companions," he said, addingthat those killed have become the guests of Allah.

India fired 24 precision missiles at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the intervening night of May 6 and 7 to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists on April 22. Sources in the Indian government said over 70 terrorists were killed and more than 60 wounded in the strikes.