JAMMU, Sep 20: Pakistan-based terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) have begun relocating their bases from Pakistan-Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), according to Indian defence and military sources. The move is seen as a “tactical adaptation,” with the groups perceiving PoJK as vulnerable to Indian strikes, while KPK offers greater operational depth due to its proximity to the Afghan frontier.
Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, destroyed terrorist infrastructure in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, and several other locations. The strikes triggered four days of clashes, which ended with a mutual understanding on May 10 to cease military actions.
Sources said the relocation is occurring with the knowledge and direct facilitation of Pakistan’s state structures. JeM has recently held gatherings in Pakistan under police protection, with tacit support from political-religious groups like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).
A notable development was observed in Garhi Habibullah town of Mansehra district in KPK, where JeM conducted a public recruitment drive on September 14, seven hours before an India-Pakistan cricket match. The event was led by JeM and JUI in the presence of Mulana Mufti Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, alias Abu Mohammad—a senior JeM leader and close aide of founder Maulana Masood Azhar—underscoring the Pakistan state’s backing of the group. (Agencies)
