Did Kasab and Headley Train at a Terror Camp Targeted in Operation Sindoor?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Indian Army conducted Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps.
- Ajmal Kasab and David Headley trained at the targeted camps.
- Operation involved precise strikes based on intelligence.
- No civilian casualties reported, focusing solely on terrorist facilities.
- Significant military effort to combat terror infrastructure in the region.
New Delhi, May 7 (NationPress) The Indian Army disclosed on Wednesday that a terror camp obliterated during Operation Sindoor was the same location where Ajmal Kasab and David Headley, significant figures in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, underwent extensive training.
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was involved in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist assaults.
David Coleman Headley is a Pakistani-American terrorist and the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks. He played a crucial role in planning the assaults, collaborating with the Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
During a media briefing, Col. Sofiya Qureshi showcased videos of the precise strikes, illustrating the devastation at various terror camps, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters located in Muridke, Punjab province, Pakistan.
“The terror site Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, the base of Jaish-e-Mohammed, was also among the targets struck by the Indian Armed Forces. No military installations were hit, and there have been no reports of civilian casualties in Pakistan so far,” she stated.
Under Operation Sindoor, nine sites were targeted: four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists.
The Indian Air Force meticulously selected the targets based on intelligence indicating that terror camps were disguising themselves as health facilities to avoid detection, according to the army's statement.
Among the targeted sites were facilities operated by globally banned groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
These locations included the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke, which was visited by David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, and associated with Kasab's training. Notably, Osama bin Laden had reportedly contributed Rs 10 lakh for a guest house on the premises.
Another targeted camp was the Shawai Nalla camp in Muzaffarabad (PoK), a critical Lashkar-e-Taiba training facility operational since 2000, with the capability of housing 200-250 terrorists, where the 26/11 attackers were trained.
Additionally, Sarjal in Tehra Kalan (Narowal district, Pakistan) was a primary launchpad for Jaish-e-Mohammed, operating from a health center run by de facto chief Abdul Rauf Asgar. Located merely six kilometers from the Samba sector in Jammu, it was used for cross-border tunnel excavations and drone-based arms and narcotics deliveries, which were also destroyed in the airstrike.
Other locations targeted by the Indian Army included Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad, Markaz Taiba in Muridke, Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, Makaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli, and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot.
Sources indicated that the choice of these targets was informed by extensive intelligence regarding Pakistan's shifting strategies to obscure terror infrastructure and evade international sanctions, particularly from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).