India Attacks Mehmoona Joya Facility, Hizbul Mujahideen’s Terror Hub In Sialkot

Targeting nine significant terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Indian military forces launched one of its most concentrated counterterrorism operations under Operation Sindoor in a forceful pre-dawn onslaught on Wednesday. Sialkot, a renowned hub of terror infrastructure located only a few kilometres from the Indian border, was one of the strike's main targets.

Sialkot is significant to the terror network for both functional and geographic reasons. Situated near India's Samba sector in Jammu, the region has historically been used as a starting point for terror activities and infiltration by groups based in Pakistan. There are active training camps for the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen in and around Sialkot, according to several intelligence reports.

During the missile bombardment, two significant terror facilities in Sialkot were destroyed. Just 6 kilometres from the Indian border, the Sarjal camp was one of the targets. Five Indian police personnel were killed in a fatal attack in Kashmir in March 2025, which was directly related to this facility. The terrorists who carried out the attack were trained in the use of weaponry at Sarjal, according to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who oversaw the operation's briefing.

The Mehmoona Joya camp, which is 12 to 18 kilometres from the international border, was struck by the second significant strike in Sialkot. Although this camp shared facilities with Jaish-e-Mohammed, Indian military sources described it as one of Hizbul Mujahideen's largest operational centres. The operational depth that Sialkot-based camps offer JeM's cross-border operations was highlighted by Colonel Qureshi's confirmation that the Pathankot Air Force base attack was not only planned but also launched from this very area.

Indian precision strikes also targeted sites in Muridke and Bahawalpur, which are both firmly rooted in Pakistan's Islamist network, in addition to Sialkot. It was discovered that Muridke, which has traditionally been connected to LeT, included training modules utilised by David Headley and Ajmal Kasab as well as other equipment connected to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, the doctrinal and operational hub of JeM, was the target of a strategic hit in Bahawalpur, which is located about 400 miles from Lahore and 100 km from the Indian border. The mosque complex, which spans almost 18 acres, is essential to JeM's recruiting, indoctrination, and logistical activities. Due to its association with the February 14, 2019, Pulwama incident, the place has been under Indian surveillance for a long time. Maulana Masood Azhar, Maulana Ammar, and Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar are among the prominent JeM leaders who reside there.

Operation Sindoor was carried out with surgical precision, purposefully avoiding Pakistani military sites and reducing the possibility of civilian casualties, according to Indian military sources.

Every target was carefully chosen based on intelligence proving their direct involvement in supporting terrorism in India.

This operation's inclusion of Sialkot as a primary target represents a dramatic change in India's counterterrorism strategy. Sialkot, which was once regarded as a grey area because of its closeness to the international border and dense civilian populations, is now squarely in India's sights as a key location for JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen's cross-border operations. Its devastation during Operation Sindoor makes it abundantly evident that India will no longer put up with safe havens located right over its border.