Fearing Indian strike, Pakistan moves terrorists from PoK launch pads to army bunkers: Sources

Fearing retaliation after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, the Pakistani Army has started vacating several terror launch pads across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), intelligence sources told India Today TV on Monday. Terrorists are being shifted into army shelters and underground bunkers to avoid Indian strikes, they said.

The move came shortly after Indian security agencies identified multiple active launch pads across the region. Intelligence inputs suggest militants are being relocated from Kel, Sardi, Dudhnial, Athmuqam, Jura, Lipa, Pachhiban, Forward Kahuta, Kotli, Khuiratta, Mandhar, Nikail, Chamankot, and Jankote.

These launch pads have long served as key hubs where terrorists are gathered before being pushed across the Line of Control (LoC) into Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said the sudden repositioning points to Pakistan's desperate attempt to shield its terror infrastructure from Indian surveillance and potential pre-emptive action. Tensions along the LoC have sharply escalated after the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, where 26 people — mostly tourists — were killed.

Last week, Indian security forces zeroed in on at least 42 terror launch pads and training centres operating across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Intelligence reports estimated that 150 to 200 trained terrorists are currently stationed at various camps, ready for infiltration attempts.

Earlier, India Today TV had reported that about 60 foreign terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are active in Jammu and Kashmir, along with 17 local militants.

The Pahalgam attack was carried out by around five to six terrorists linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.