Operation Sindoor: Why did India target ‘terror nursey' Muridke Markaz in Pakistan?
Indian armed forces successfully struck nine terror targets—four in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Let's Take a Look at Why These Camps Were Targetted?
According to official statement by India government, the Markaz Taiba camp, 25 km from the de-facto border, was the headquarters of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been linked to Pahalgam terror attack attack.
Terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the sole perpetrator of the 2008 attack on Mumbai to be captured alive, was also allegedly trained at the facility. More than 160 people were killed in the attack Mumbai.
The target deepest in Pakistan, about 100 km from the border, the Markaz Subhan camp was the headquarters of Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and was used for recruiting, training, and indoctrination, according to India government. The Muridke Markaz holds significant strategic and symbolic importance as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), one of Pakistan's most notorious terrorist organisations
The Muridke Markaz holds significant strategic and symbolic importance as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), one of Pakistan's most notorious terrorist organisations. Located near Lahore in Pakistan's Punjab province, the Markaz is often described as a "terror nursery" due to its extensive facilities dedicated to training, indoctrination, and recruitment of militants.
Spread over approximately 200 acres, Murdike Markaz functions as a self-sustaining township with mosques, educational institutions, residential quarters, and training grounds.
Established in the late 1980s by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed with support from Pakistan's intelligence agency (ISI) and external funding, it has been the ideological, logistical, and operational hub for LeT's jihadist activities.
The Muridke Markaz is infamous for its role in preparing terrorists involved in major attacks against India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks where operatives like Ajmal Kasab received training there.
It serves not only as a training camp but also as a centre for radicalisation, with around 1,000 students enrolled annually in various courses aimed at promoting extremist ideology and militant skills.
The complex's proximity to Lahore and its location on a major highway enable rapid deployment of trained militants. India's strike on Muridke during Operation Sindoor was a targeted effort to dismantle this critical terror infrastructure and send a strong message against cross-border terrorism.
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