On May 7, at exactly 12:35:22 AM Pakistan time, the Indian Air Force carried out an air strike on Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) headquarters, Markaz Taiba, situated at Nangal Sahdan of Muridke. The strike targeted three major buildings inside the Markaz Taiba complex, which had been used for over 25 years for terrorist training, cadre accommodation, and weapons storage.
The Indian strike severely damaged all three structures: a red two-storey building used for accommodation and weapons storage, and two yellow-coloured buildings called Umm-ul-Qura by LeT, one of which was used for training and residence of top LeT commanders. Only skeletal remains were left standing.
Reconstruction Drive Begins in August
Video footage accessed by ABP News shows that on August 18, LeT deployed five JCB machines to begin demolishing the damaged buildings. On Thursday, September 4, the yellow building named Umm-ul-Qura, partly destroyed in the Indian strike, was completely torn down for reconstruction.
Following that, the terror group also demolished the heavily damaged red three-storey building, which had housed terrorists and weapons, as part of its rebuilding campaign.
Exclusive video accessed by ABP News shows the entire 1.09-acre Markaz Taiba complex reduced to rubble, with debris scattered across the premises.
Notably, during the four-day conflict between May 7 and May 10, the Pakistani government had publicly announced it would finance and oversee the reconstruction of all damaged structures, including the headquarters of its state-sponsored terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). Subsequently, from August 18, LeT began razing the damaged headquarters with JCBs, demolishing parts of Umm-ul-Qura by August 20.
Race to Rebuild Before February 5, 2026
By September 7, the demolition of Umm-ul-Qura within the Markaz Taiba complex was fully completed. Sources said debris clearance will be finished in the coming days, after which construction of new structures will begin. Both Pakistan’s government and Lashkar-e-Taiba are determined to ensure that at least part of the rebuilt headquarters is ready before February 5, 2026.
The date holds special significance for LeT, which annually organises a Kashmir-focused jihad event on February 5 next year. The group plans to host the 2026 gathering at Markaz Taiba in the presence of its top commanders.
Reconstruction Supervised by Senior LeT Members
Sources from intelligence further reveal that the reconstruction is currently being supervised by Markaz Taiba’s director and LeT’s chief trainer (Ustad ul Mujahiddin), Maulana Abu Zar, along with commander Yunus Shah Bukhari.
After the May 7 strike, LeT had temporarily shifted training and accommodation of cadres to Markaz Aqsa in Bahawalpur. However, since July, these facilities have been moved to Markaz Yarmouk in Patoki, Kasur district, under the charge of LeT commander Abdul Rashid Mohsin, a close aide of LeT’s deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri.
