Operation Sindoor: Indian forces raze Sialkot's two terror bases behind Pathankot, Kashmir attacks

Early on Wednesday, Indian armed forces executed one of their most focused counter-terror offensives under Operation Sindoor, striking nine major terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Among the key targets was Sialkot, a hotbed of terror activity located just a few kilometres from the Indian border.

Two camps in Sialkot were reduced to rubble in the overnight missile strikes. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, speaking at the Operation Sindoor briefing, revealed critical details about these camps and their deep-rooted involvement in past attacks on Indian soil.

One of the camps destroyed was the Sarjal camp, located just 6 km from India’s Samba region. According to Colonel Qureshi, "In March 2025, five Indian police officers were killed in Kashmir in a gun battle with the terrorists. Those involved in the attack were trained at this spot."

Another significant strike hit the Mehmoona Joya camp, situated 12 to 18 km from the international border. Described as “one of the biggest camps of Hizbul Mujahideen,” this location had long served as the operational epicentre of terrorist activity in Jammu. Colonel Qureshi added that the Pathankot Air Force base attack was “planned and initiated from this very camp.”

On the other hand, Col. Sofiya Qureshi also talked about the reason behind selecting the other strike sites. She said, "The videos show destroyed terror camps, including from the Muridke where those involved in the 2008 Mumbai Terror attacks – Ajmal Kasab and David Headley – received their training."

She confirmed that no military installation was targeted, and till now there were no reports of civilian casualties in Pakistan.

Among the other sites targetted was Bahawalpur, the headquarters of JeM and is situated around 400 km from Lahore. It houses the group's operational nerve centre at the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah. Located around 100 km from the international border, Bahawalpur is the 12th largest city of Pakistan.

Among the sites targeted by India was the Jamia Masjid, said to be spread across ~18 acres and serving as JeM's hub for recruitment, fundraising and indoctrination. The site was directly linked to the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019, and houses senior JeM leadership including Maulana Masood Azhar, Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, and Maulana Ammar.

The strikes were part of a larger coordinated effort that targeted infrastructure tied to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Indian military maintained that the operation was “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” aimed strictly at terror infrastructure while avoiding Pakistani military sites.