Newly released satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies, accessed by Reuters, has revealed extensive destruction at key strongholds of the terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan. The images, taken before and after India’s precision strikes on May 7, provide stark evidence of the structural damage inflicted on these groups, confirming India’s assertions regarding its military operations against terror infrastructure.
The strikes, conducted under Operation Sindoor, were launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, predominantly tourists. A primary target was the Markaz Subhan Allah mosque complex in Bahawalpur, the operational headquarters of JeM since 2015. The satellite images illustrate significant damage, including a crater in the mosque’s dome, alongside collapsed buildings and widespread debris.
During a press briefing, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army confirmed that the assault on Bahawalpur impacted the residences of JeM’s founder, Maulana Masood Azhar, and other senior figures within the group. She remarked that this site had been instrumental for radicalization, training with arms, and hosting anti-India propaganda. The destruction at this location represents a crucial setback for JeM’s operational capabilities.
The Markaz Subhan Allah complex has previously been tied to major terror planning events, including the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019, and has been recognized as a facility that provided physical, arms, and ideological training to militants deployed throughout the region.
In addition to Bahawalpur, extensive damage was also reported at the Markaz Taiba complex in Muridke, the headquarters of LeT. Pre-strike satellite imagery exhibited a large campus utilized for indoctrination and training purposes, while post-strike visuals demonstrate that significant sections of this facility have been obliterated.
Colonel Qureshi highlighted that Markaz Taiba, located merely 18–25 km within Pakistan’s borders, enrolled over 1,000 students each year in various ideological and paramilitary training courses. She emphasized the historical significance of this site, noting that several individuals involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, including Ajmal Kasab and David Headley, received training there.
These military actions signify a significant strategic maneuver by India aimed at dismantling what it describes as the “deep infrastructure of terrorism” allegedly facilitated from across the border. While Pakistani officials have condemned the strikes as violations of sovereignty, India has defended them as “measured and necessary” in light of the Pahalgam massacre.
As Operation Sindoor proceeds, the international community is closely observing the developments, bolstered by satellite evidence that supports India’s claims of targeting exclusively terror-related assets while sparing civilian lives and military installations.
