In the early hours of May 7, around 1:30 am, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a high-precision retaliatory strike targetting nine terror hubs spread across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Government sources confirmed the use of advanced missile systems with specialized warheads to maximize impact and accuracy.

Of the nine locations struck, five were situated in PoK including two each in Muzaffarabad and Kotli, and one in Bhimber. The remaining four were within Pakistan’s borders: two in Sialkot, one in Muridke, and another in Bahawalpur. This approach marked a tactical escalation from the 2019 Balakot strike, where only one site was targetted.

One of the major sites hit was Markaz Taiba in Muridke near Lahore, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s main base where 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab and Lashkar associate David Headley were once trained. Another was Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, a key hub for Jaish-e-Mohammed’s ideological and recruitment activities. Other impacted sites included Sarjal and Mehmona Joya in Sialkot, Gulpur and Abbas in Kotli, Syedna Bilal and Sawai Nala in Muzaffarabad, and the town of Bhimber.

Lashkar Commander Abu Jundal Killed, Honoured by Pakistani Army

The strikes successfully eliminated several high-profile militants closely tied to LeT and JeM. Among them was Mudassar Khadian Khas, also known as Abu Jundal. A senior Lashkar operative, he ran the Muridke headquarters and played a central role in operations. Pakistani military honored his death with a guard of honour, and wreaths were laid on behalf of Army Chief General Asim Munir and Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz. His funeral was conducted at a government school, led by designated global terrorist Hafiz Abdul Rauf, and was attended by a serving Lieutenant General and the Punjab Police Inspector General.

Khalid, also known by his alias Abu Akasha, was another Lashkar-e-Taiba commander killed in the operation. Actively involved in orchestrating attacks in Jammu & Kashmir, he was also engaged in arms trafficking from Afghanistan. His funeral in Faisalabad reportedly saw the presence of senior local government officials, including the district’s Deputy Commissioner.

The Indian strike also eliminated two brothers-in-law of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. Hafiz Muhammed Jameel, a senior figure in JeM and head of Markaz Subhan Allah, played a crucial role in the radicalisation and fundraising wing of the outfit. Known for shaping the ideological foundation of young recruits, Jameel was considered a major ideological driver behind JeM’s expansion.

Also killed was Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, widely recognised by aliases such as Ustad Ji, Ghosi Sahab, and Mohd Salim. A veteran in the ranks of JeM, he was responsible for arms training and coordinated multiple attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, he was a key accused in the IC-814 Indian Airlines hijacking of 1999, which resulted in the controversial release of Masood Azhar.

Another key target neutralized was Mohammad Hassan Khan, a Jaish operative and son of Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, JeM’s operational commander in PoK. Hassan Khan had played a central role in planning and executing terror strikes in Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir.

Operation Sindoor marks a significant shift in India’s counter-terror doctrine targetting not just infrastructure but also leadership figures. Unlike previous limited air responses, this operation extended deep into Pakistan’s territory, disrupting terror planning and recruitment at multiple strategic levels. With the elimination of top-level operatives, security analysts expect a substantial disruption to the operational capabilities of both LeT and JeM.