PoK Terror Bases Relocate to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa After India’s Operation Sindoor

Following India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025, the pattern of terrorist activities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has changed substantially, according to PTI. These reports indicate that groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), reportedly supported by Pakistan, are relocating their bases to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Experts cited in the media suggest this is a strategic move rather than just a reaction to Indian strikes.

PoK Vulnerable, KPK Becomes Safer Haven

Media sources note that PoK is now more exposed to precise Indian strikes, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offers a safer base for terrorists due to its geographical depth, proximity to the Afghan border, and established jihadist infrastructure. As a result, several terrorist organisations are transferring operations to KPK, reports add.

Operation Sindoor: Targets and Impact

On 7 May 2025, the Indian Air Force and Army launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine major terrorist sites in Pakistan and PoK, media reports say. Key locations reportedly included:

Bahawalpur's Markaz Subhanallah - headquarters of JeM

Muridke's Markaz Tayyaba - main base of Lashkar-e-Taiba

According to reports, at least 100 terrorists were killed. The Markaz Tayyaba camp is notorious for training terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and David Headley, involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian forces also reportedly dismantled bases in Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber, and other areas. Between 7 and 10 May, reports say 13 Pakistani military installations and airbases were targeted.

Recruitment Drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Media reports indicate that Pakistan's government machinery is allegedly aiding the relocation of these groups. Organisations like JeM reportedly hold public gatherings under police protection, while political-religious groups such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) are covertly involved.

Recently, JeM reportedly conducted a large recruitment drive in Garhi Habibullah, Mansehra district, KPK, just hours before an India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match. While presented as a religious event, reports say it served as a recruitment campaign for new fighters.

The rally reportedly included JeM and JUI activists. On stage was Masood Ilyas Kashmiri alias Abu Mohammad, JeM's KPK head and close associate of founder Maulana Masood Azhar, who remains on India's most-wanted terrorist list. Intelligence sources quoted in media reports say the primary purpose was to recruit new operatives for JeM's expanding training centre, 'Markaz Shuhada-e-Islam,' in Mansehra.