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Lashkar-e-Taiba razes HQ hollowed out by India during Operation Sindoor, rushes to rebuild
Lashkar-e-Taiba has begun reconstruction of its HQ, demolished by the IAF, with government funding, aiming to complete it by February 2026.
Pakistani terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba has completed demolition of its headquarters struck by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor and has begun reconstruction with government funding, according to a person familiar with assessments by the Indian security establishment.
The group’s Markaz Taiba complex in Muridke was struck by the Indian Air Force on May 7 during Operation Sindoor. The facility, spread across 1.09 acres, housed training facilities, weapons storage, and commander residences before the attack.
Demolition of the damaged structures began on August 18 using five excavators and was completed by September 7, the person quoted above said. The entire complex has been reduced to rubble, with debris clearance currently underway.
The reconstruction effort is being overseen by senior Lashkar leaders, including Maulana Abu Zar, the facility’s director, and commander Yunus Shah Bukhari, according to inputs. The group aims to complete at least partial reconstruction before February 5, 2026, when it traditionally holds an annual Kashmir-focused jihad convention at the site.
According to the assessment, following the May conflict, the Pakistani government publicly committed to financing reconstruction of damaged militant facilities. Islamabad provided Lashkar with an initial 40 crore Pakistani rupees (approximately 12.5 crore INR) on August 14.
“They’re running both offline collection drives and online appeals, where cadres present themselves as relief workers,” the person stated. “The collected money is being diverted into reconstruction of the headquarters and other damaged camps.”
The strategy mirrors past practices. Following Pakistan’s 2005 earthquake, Lashkar raised billions of rupees under humanitarian pretences but diverted approximately 80 per cent of funds toward terror infrastructure, the assessment indicates.
After the headquarters were hit, Lashkar moved operations. Training and accommodation initially moved to Markaz Aqsa in Bahawalpur, then to Markaz Yarmouk in Patoki, Kasur district, by July.
