The tremors of Operation Sindoor, India&rsquo;s precision strikes of May 7 that flattened nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), are still being felt across the border. Nearly 100 militants were killed in those strikes. Now, intelligence inputs reveal a new trend: Pakistan-backed terror groups are relocating from PoK to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
Groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) are shifting operations deeper inside Pakistan, not only because their camps were destroyed but also as part of a strategic recalibration. According to security officials, the move reflects a growing perception that PoK is increasingly vulnerable to Indian precision strikes.
KPK offers several advantages: greater geographic depth, proximity to the Afghan frontier, and a network of jihadi safe havens dating back to the Afghan war. This terrain provides cover that PoK no longer guarantees. Sources point to overt JeM rallies in KPK, protected by police and bolstered by political-religious groups like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), as proof of state-facilitated movement.
One such rally, presented as a Deobandi religious gathering, was led by Masood Ilyas Kashmiri alias Abu Mohammad, JeM&rsquo;s Amir for KPK and a high-value target wanted in India. Closely linked to JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar, Abu Mohammad is believed to be spearheading the group&rsquo;s post-Sindoor restructuring. Intelligence suggests the rally&rsquo;s hidden aim was recruitment for JeM&rsquo;s training hub at Mansehra, Markaz Shohada-e-Islam, which has been expanding since May.
The timing was telling: the recruitment drive in Garhi Habibullah, Mansehra district, was staged just hours before the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match on September 14. Officials say the spectacle was designed to both energize supporters and draw in new cadres under the cloak of religion and sport-linked nationalism.
Operation Sindoor had struck deep into Pakistan, hitting LeT&rsquo;s Markaz Taiba near Muridke, linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks and JeM&rsquo;s&nbsp;Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, among other sites in Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber and Sarjal. But by shifting to KPK, militants are betting that Indian strikes are less likely in areas closer to Afghanistan.
Between May 7 and May 10, Indian forces also struck 13 Pakistani airbases and military sites, underscoring how exposed terror infrastructure in PoK had become. For Pakistan&rsquo;s militant ecosystem, KPK now represents both sanctuary and an opportunity to rebuild.
The message from Indian intelligence is clear: terror groups are not merely hiding, they are adapting. And with fresh recruitment drives under way, the security challenge could soon re-emerge in a new theatre.

Why Terror Camps Are Shifting in Pakistan

After India’s Operation Sindoor strikes, groups like JeM, HM regroup deeper in KPK

Why Terror Camps Are Shifting in Pakistan

After India’s Operation Sindoor strikes, groups like JeM, HM regroup deeper in KPK

September 20, 2025 | 16:22 IST