The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has started reconstruction of the Markaz Taiba headquarters in Muridke, which was destroyed by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, according to India Today. Intelligence reports suggest the terrorist group is diverting state funds and relief intended for flood victims to rebuild its terror infrastructure.
The May 7 precision strike at 00:35 PST flattened three key buildings across 1.09 acres in Nangal Sahdan, including a red block used for militant accommodation and weapons storage, and two yellow “Umm-ul-Qura” structures housing training facilities and residences of senior commanders, leaving only skeletal remains.
By August 18, LeT deployed heavy machinery to demolish the remaining crippled structures, with HUMINT-sourced video showing rubble-strewn grounds and cadres supervising the clearance.
Partial demolition of the Umm-ul-Qura training complex occurred by August 20, with its complete demolition on September 4. The final heavily damaged accommodation block was fully razed by September 7, leaving the entire complex reduced to rubble, with debris clearance ongoing ahead of reconstruction.
The reconstruction, as reported by India Today, is being overseen by Markaz Taiba director Maulana Abu Zar and LeT chief trainer Yunus Shah Bukhari, also known as Ustad ul Mujahiddin.
Intelligence reports suggest that the rebuilt Markaz is planned to be inaugurated on February 5, 2026, Kashmir Solidarity Day, coinciding with LeT’s annual convention, and will serve as a center for training, indoctrination, and operational planning.
Funding disguised as flood relief
During the four-day conflict in early May, the Pakistani government publicly committed to financing the reconstruction of all damaged facilities of state-sponsored terror groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
On August 14, LeT received an initial assistance package of PKR 4 crore (around Rs 1.25 crore) from Islamabad to begin rebuilding Markaz Taiba. Internal assessments by the group estimate that restoring the complex to its pre-strike scale will require more than PKR 15 crore (around Rs 4.7 crore).
To bridge this funding gap, LeT has launched fundraising campaigns under the guise of humanitarian relief, presenting them as support for flood victims.
The India Today report cites evidence indicating that while these appeals are publicly promoted as aid initiatives, the actual objective is channeling funds into reconstructing headquarters and camps destroyed in the May strikes.
Cadres, often flanked by Pakistani Rangers, stage photo opportunities distributing token supplies while diverting the bulk of donations to Muridke's reconstruction.
This pattern mirrors tactics observed after the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
At that time, LeT, operating under the Jamaat-ud-Dawa front, raised billions of PKR through humanitarian appeals, with investigations later revealing that roughly 80% of funds were diverted to terror infrastructure, including the construction of Markaz Abbas in Kotli, which was also destroyed during Operation Sindoor.
Training wings were temporarily relocated to Markaz Aqsa in Bahawalpur and later to Markaz Yarmouk in Patoki, Kasur district, under Abdul Rashid Mohsin, a trusted aide of deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri.
Operation Sindoor
This follows the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, after which India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting multiple terror sites in Pakistan and PoK.
The Indian armed forces destroyed several camps belonging to groups such as LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen, neutralizing over 100 terrorists.
In response to the overnight operation, the Pakistani Army launched drones and missiles at India, which were successfully intercepted, prompting India to strike selected military targets deep inside Pakistani territory.
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