JeM, Mujahideen Relocate To Pak’s KPK After Op Sindoor
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, which destroyed at least nine major terrorist hubs in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), intelligence inputs indicate that Pakistan-sponsored groups, particularly Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), are deliberately relocating to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
By : pawan bali
Update: 2025-09-19 15:39 GMT
New Delhi: In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, which destroyed at least nine major terrorist hubs in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), intelligence inputs indicate that Pakistan-sponsored groups, particularly Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), are deliberately relocating to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
According to reports, the move reflects a significant tactical shift. PoK is now seen as vulnerable to Indian precision strikes, while KPK offers geographic depth, proximity to the Afghan frontier, and established jihadi safe havens dating back to the Afghan war.
Responding to questions on the development, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly briefing: “We all have to fight cross-border terrorism… We call upon the world to intensify our efforts to deal with terrorism.”
The most significant finding, intelligence sources said, was a public JeM recruitment drive in Garhi Habibullah, Mansehra district, KPK, held hours before the India-Pakistan cricket match on September 14, 2025. Ostensibly organised as a religious gathering, it was led jointly by JeM and JUI and addressed by Mulana Mufti Masood Ilyas Kashmiri alias Abu Mohammad, JeM’s Amir for KPK and Kashmir. A high-value target closely linked to JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar, he is believed to be spearheading JeM’s operational restructuring after Operation Sindoor.
Intelligence reports noted that Abu Mohammad’s appearance at a public rally, guarded by JeM cadres armed with M4 rifles and local police, including Inspector Liaqat Shah of Garhi Habibullah Police Station, pointed to state complicity and JeM’s bold revival strategy. The rally’s real purpose was to recruit cadres for JeM’s Mansehra training facility, Marakaz Shohada-e-Islam, which has been expanding since Operation Sindoor.
JeM is also planning another major event on 25 September 2025 in Peshawar’s Marakaz Shaheed Maksudabad, to commemorate Yusuf Azhar (Masood Azhar’s brother, killed in Operation Sindoor). Pamphlets distributed in KPK under JeM’s alias Al-Murabitun confirm the event, expected to double as both a memorial rally and a mass recruitment campaign.
Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen, led by ex-Pakistani commando Khalid Khan, is building a new training facility named “HM 313” in Bandaai, Lower Dir, KPK. Land for the site was discreetly purchased in August 2024, and construction resumed after Operation Sindoor. Intelligence reports noted visible boundary walls and initial infrastructure, with the “313” reference symbolising both the historic Battle of Badr and Al-Qaeda’s Brigade 313, underlining Hizbul’s bid for global jihadi legitimacy. The camp is seen as a replacement for destroyed PoK facilities and a base for indoctrination and cross-border operations into Kashmir.