Fearing imminent Indian retaliation following the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, the Pakistani Army has reportedly begun vacating several terror launch pads across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and relocating militants to army-run shelters and underground bunkers, highly placed intelligence sources told India Today TV.
According to these sources, Indian security and intelligence agencies recently identified multiple active launch pads in PoK — strategic hubs used historically to stage infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC) into Indian territory. Acting on this intelligence, the Pakistani military has now begun shifting terrorist cadres from key forward locations to more secure army facilities in a desperate attempt to protect its terror infrastructure from possible Indian strikes.
The areas witnessing significant militant repositioning include Kel, Sardi, Dudhnial, Athmuqam, Jura, Lipa, Pachhiban, Forward Kahuta, Kotli, Khuiratta, Mandhar, Nikail, Chamankot, and Jankote — all notorious for hosting terror camps and infiltration routes over the years.
The sudden mass withdrawal from these launch pads is being interpreted by Indian intelligence analysts as a clear indication that Pakistan anticipates targeted operations by Indian forces, similar to the 2016 surgical strikes after the Uri attack and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes following the Pulwama suicide bombing. It suggests that the Pakistani Army, keenly aware of India's growing public demand for retaliation, is preparing for the worst.
Last week, Indian security forces zeroed in on as many as 42 terror launch pads and training centres across PoK, where militants had been reportedly assembling in significant numbers. Intelligence estimates suggest that between 150 to 200 trained terrorists are currently stationed across these camps, waiting for opportunities to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir once the LoC conditions become favourable.
Compounding the concerns, previous intelligence reports revealed that around 60 foreign terrorists affiliated with major terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are active within Jammu and Kashmir itself. They are reportedly supported by 17 local militants operating within the Union Territory, indicating an organised and layered terror network already in place.
The escalation follows the horrific massacre on April 22, when five to six terrorists linked to The Resistance Front (TRF) — a front group of LeT — killed 26 people, primarily tourists, after reportedly singling out victims based on their religion. Survivors and preliminary investigations have confirmed that the attackers forced people to recite religious verses and executed those who could not comply, in what has been described as the most brutal assault on civilians in Kashmir in recent memory.
The massacre has unleashed a wave of anger and grief across India, with mass protests erupting in major cities and calls for "unprecedented action" growing louder each day. The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has already taken a series of diplomatic and strategic steps — including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the revocation of Pakistani visas, and the downgrading of diplomatic ties — to send a strong message to Islamabad.
Pakistan’s decision to move terrorists away from exposed launch pads also comes amid reports of heavy Indian surveillance activities across the LoC, with heightened drone operations, satellite monitoring, and human intelligence inputs being used to track terrorist movements in real-time. This heightened surveillance, sources suggest, has significantly complicated Pakistan’s usual pattern of infiltration and staging attacks inside Indian territory.
Indian military commanders are said to be deliberating a "measured but firm" response, with multiple options reportedly on the table, ranging from targeted cross-border strikes to deeper and more sustained operations aimed at crippling Pakistan’s terror infrastructure.
As tensions escalate, both militaries remain on high alert, with the LoC witnessing a visible spike in troop deployment, movement of heavy artillery, and increased aerial reconnaissance activities.
The situation remains volatile, with diplomatic channels largely frozen and international concern growing about the potential for conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbours.
