At least 100 terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor, says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at all-party meet

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the all-party meeting on May 8 that at least 100 terrorists had been killed in Indian strikes carried out as part of Operation Sindoor on Wednesday morning, reported PTI citing unnamed sources. Sources said, that over 100 terrorists were eliminated with a series of precision strikes launched in the early hours of Wednesday. The operation, aimed at avenging the Pahalgam terror attack, remains underway, making it challenging to provide an exact casualty count of the terrorists at this stage, sources further stated.

The strikes, executed by the Indian Armed Forces, targeted nine key terror camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen. Four of the targets were located inside Pakistan and the remaining five were situated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In Pakistan, the security forces targeted the four terrorist camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya.

In Bahawalpur, Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur, operational since 2015, is the main centre of Jem for training and indoctrination and serves as the operational headquarters of JeM. It is associated with terrorist planning by JeM, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. The Markaz consists of residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de facto Chief of JeM Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members of Masood Azhar.

In Muridke, Markaz Taiba, established in 2000, is the 'alma mater' and the most important training centre of LeT located in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke, Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.The complex holds arms and physical training facilities, as well as dawa'h and radicalisation for terror entities, both from within Pakistan and abroad. This Markaz enrols around 1000 students in different courses annually, highlighting its role in churning out terror entities for LeT annually. 

The perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, including Ajmal Kasab, were imparted 'Daura-e-Ribbat' (intelligence training) at this facility. David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the prime conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had also visited here. In Sarjal, the central launching facility of JeM for infiltration of terrorists was targeted. 

The Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot was another target where Pak-ISI was establishing terror facilities in government buildings. The five other locations in PoK on India's target were Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala in Bhimber, Markaz Abbas and Maskar Raheel Shahid in Kotli, Shawai Nallah Camp, and Markaz Syedna Bilal, in Muzaffarabad. 

(with inputs from ANI)