Why India targeted Muridke and Bahawalpur, two key terror hubs of Pakistan

Bhawalpur, meanwhile, is a larger city of Pakistan (8th most populous). It’s the central operational hub of JeM, and is situated about 400 km from Lahore.

In response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 , Indian armed forces hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) with precision strikes in the wee hours of May 7.

The two key sites among the nine were Muridke and Bahawalpur, headquarters of terror outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), respectively.

Muridke lies 33 km from Lahore, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and has been the base of the LeT since the late 1980s. The April 22 attacks were carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the LeT.

Muridke, the 37th largest city in Pakistan,  in terms of population, hosts the ‘Markaz complex’, LeT’s nerve centre, from where the terror outfit--founded by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed—primarily operates. Reports say hundreds of volunteers from Pakistan are trained in the complex for carrying out terrorist operations.

The complex is understood to be spread over hundreds of acres, which makes it one of the largest terror facilities in the world.

According to satellite images, Markaz is a township, with a mosque at the centre. It’s surrounded by teaching centres, and has large open areas for training . The township also has basic infrastructure, such as hospitals, banks, and other commercial units. Due to its proximity to Lahore and a major highway, Markaz is able to deploy assets at short notice.

Bahawalpur, meanwhile, is a larger city, the 8th most populous in Pakistan. It is the central operational hub of JeM, and is situated about 400 km from Lahore. Within the city, which has a population of over 7.6 lakh, is the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah complex, an 18-acre facility, reportedly a primary target of India’s strikes.

According to news reports, the Jamia Masjid complex serves a much broader purpose than that of a religious institution. It is the central hub for Jaish-e-Mohammed’s key operations, including recruitment , fundraising, and ideological training.

The facility encompasses an extensive compound, featuring a grand mosque, a religious school that can accommodate more than 600 trainees, a swimming pool, horse stables, and a gymnasium — all pointing to a well-established organisational and training infrastructure.

Moreover, it’s believed that JeM founder Masood Azhar is based at this facility. Azhar, infamously known for orchestrating terrorist activities against India, was born in Bahawalpur and is believed to be still living there in a highly secured compound.

Additionally, reports suggest the JeM camp is in close proximity to Pakistan’s 31 Corps, a major army cantonment, and is believed to host a secret nuclear facility.