In a major national security concern, intelligence agencies have confirmed that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has relocated its key operational and training infrastructure from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region. The move comes just days after similar shifts by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
The move signals a broader tactical realignment by Pakistan-based terror outfits. According to intelligence inputs, the relocation took place in the wake of India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in PoK earlier this year. The shift is intended to place training sites deeper inside Pakistani territory to reduce vulnerability to future Indian strikes.
Where is the new LeT facility located?
Fresh videos and images dated September 22, 2025, show construction of a new training and residential complex named Markaz Jihad-e-Aqsa in the Kumban Maidan area of Lower Dir district, KPK. The location lies roughly 47 km from the Afghan border.
The new infrastructure spans approximately 4,600 square feet on land adjoining LeT’s newly built Jamia Ahle Sunnah mosque, consistent with the group’s long-standing tactic of using religious fronts to conceal militant operations, media reports indicated.
How advanced is the construction?
Sources say construction began in July 2025, two months after Operation Sindoor. Satellite imagery confirms the completion of the first-floor frame, with reinforced concrete roofing work underway as of late September. Command of the facility has been handed to Nasr Javed, a UN-sanctioned terrorist and co-mastermind of the 2006 Hyderabad blasts.
He previously ran LeT’s Dulai camp in PoK between 2004 and 2015 and is linked to the group’s fundraising arm, Khidmat-e-Khalq. Doctrinal training has been assigned to Muhammad Yasin, also known as Bilal Bhai, while operational weapons training will be overseen by Anas Ullah Khan, who trained at Garhi Habibullah in 2016.
What terror training is planned at the site?
Once functional, Markaz Jihad-e-Aqsa is expected to run two key programmes – Daura-e-Khas and Daura-e-Lashkar. The facility is also set to replace the destroyed Markaz Ahle Hadith camp at Bhimber-Barnala, which previously trained Fidayeen under the Jaan-e-Fidai unit before being neutralized by Indian armed forces on May 7, during Operation Sindoor.
Is the mosque a front for recruitment?
The camp’s proximity to the Markaz Jamia Ahle Sunnah seminary is seen as strategic. Intelligence agencies believe the religious complex will provide cover for recruitment, logistics, and movement of cadres under the guise of theological activity.
The Tribute reported citing sources that LeT is also planning to expand its existing camps at Markaz-e-Khyber Garhi Habibullah and Batrasi to rebuild recruitment, training, and accommodation capacity after losing major installations in PoK and Punjab, including Gulpur Kotli, Shwai Nala, and the Muridke headquarters.
Is Pakistan’s ISI involved too?
The near-simultaneous relocation by LeT, JeM, and HM is being viewed as either a coordinated or parallel strategy, likely overseen by the ISI’s Special Operations Directorate to avoid surveillance by Indian intelligence.
Lower Dir has long been a sanctuary for anti-India groups, including Al Badr. It has also served as a major base for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), making it a known theatre of extremist activity.
Despite the deeper relocation into KPK, senior security officials maintain that India retains the capability to target such facilities if they pose a threat to national security or Indian lives.