JeM, Hizbul shift base to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa post Op Sindoor

Terrorist outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, reeling from the impact of India’s Operation Sindoor in May, have begun relocating their terror infrastructure deeper into Pakistan, particularly into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, top Intelligence sources told The Tribune on Saturday.

The move is seen as a strategic adaptation by these groups, which now view current bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as increasingly vulnerable to Indian aerial and drone strikes.

Operation Sindoor had destroyed at least nine major terror training centres and hideouts in PoK and Pakistan Punjab, including hubs in Bahawalpur, Muridke and Muzaffarabad. “These strikes, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, significantly degraded the operational strength and reach of JeM, Hizbul and their allied outfits,” the sources said.

Recent Intelligence confirms that JeM has begun carrying out public recruitment drives in KPK under religious covers. On September 14, in Garhi Habibullah town, Mansehra district, JeM staged an event jointly with the political-religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), with senior JeM leader Masood Ilyas Kashmiri (alias Abu Mohammad) addressing the gathering.

“Concurrently, the Hizbul is reportedly constructing a training facility ‘HM 313’ in the Bandaai area of Lower Dir district, KPK. The land was acquired in August 2024 and construction (boundary walls, early infrastructure) accelerated after Operation Sindoor,” said the sources.

They explained that the name “313” is symbolic, referencing historical Islamic battles and aiming to borrow legitimacy from “global jihadi iconography”.

The terrain of KPK, its proximity to Afghanistan and the presence of old war-era hideouts and porous borders make it attractive as a hideaway further removed from Indian strike zones than PoK. Intelligence assessments suggest JeM and HM calculate that moving deeper into Pakistan’s frontier regions offers strategic depth, reduced visibility for Indian attack capabilities, and greater logistical resilience.

The sources also alleged that the relocation is being carried out with the tacit support or facilitation of Pakistan’s local authorities, including law enforcement protection for public events and rallies, and the involvement of political-religious bodies in enabling recruitment.