New Delhi:
Satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies revealed detailed visual evidence of the destruction caused by Operation Sindoor, the unprecedented mission in which airstrikes, precise, pre-planned, and unprecedented in scale, targeted nine sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir housing infrastructure linked to terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The newly released high-resolution satellite images show clear before-and-after comparisons of two prominent targets: the Markaz Subhan Allah compound near Bahawalpur and the Markaz Taiba complex in Nangal Sadhan, Muridke. Both locations, ideological and logistical training centres for JeM and LeT, now lie visibly damaged. The extent of destruction was seen in the May 7 imagery, with collapsed roofs, craters, and debris.
The Targets
Since its establishment in 2015, Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur has served as the primary hub for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), functioning as both its operational headquarters and a key training facility. The centre is heavily involved in planning terrorist activities, notably linked to the devastating Pulwama attack in 2019. The complex houses residences for JeM’s top leadership, including its chief, Masood Azhar and his deputy Abdul Rauf Asghar.
Before-and-after photo of Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, which served as the primary hub for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Click here for high-res.
Operational since 2000, Markaz Taiba in Muridke is a critical training and ideological centre for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan. This facility supports a range of activities, including arms training, physical fitness programs, and religious radicalisation efforts targeting both local and international recruits. The centre enrols approximately 1,000 students each year in various courses. Satellite imagery has revealed the complex’s large-scale infrastructure, with multiple buildings that sustained severe damage following targeted strikes.
The facility, located 18-25 km inside Pakistan, was a training ground for perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, including Ajmal Kasab and David Headley. Additionally, historical records indicate that Osama Bin Laden contributed millions to fund the construction of a mosque and guesthouse within the Markaz Taiba complex.
Before-and-after image of Markaz Taiba in Muridke, a training and ideological centre for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Click here for high-res.
Other locations targeted in the operation included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal. Indian intelligence had reportedly monitored these areas over an extended period, identifying movements, satellite phone signals, and vehicular patterns consistent with terrorist activity.
The Strikes
Operation Sindoor was initiated in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 25, including one Nepali tourist, were killed. India has blamed the attack on operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, trained and armed across the border in Pakistan.
Launched from Indian territory, the operation involved the coordinated deployment of air-launched cruise missiles, loitering munitions commonly known as kamikaze drones, and long-range artillery. The Air Force led the offensive, executing four of the nine strikes across the international boundary, with the remaining five carried out against targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Defence officials said that no Pakistani military facilities were hit. The operation was described as “measured, focused, and non-escalatory.”
Impact
According to estimates shared by defence officials, over 70 terrorists were killed and more than 60 others were injured during the coordinated assaults. Among the dead were several field commanders and mid-ranking operatives affiliated with both JeM and LeT.
Post-strike assessments, corroborated by imagery and intercepts, indicate the destruction of training facilities, arms depots, communication centres, and transit shelters. According to defence sources, the strikes have disrupted coordination channels between terrorist handlers and their ground operatives, both across the LoC and within India.
