Exclusive: Jaish rebuilds Bahawalpur base a year after Indian strikes, satellite images show

Pakistan-based, sanctioned terrorist outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, is rebuilding its headquarters in Bahawalpur, which sustained damage in last year’s Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, according to satellite imagery reviewed by India Today.

Images of the Jamia Subhan Allah compound, located beside the N-5 National Highway, dated April 14, 2026, show heavy machinery and multiple construction vehicles deployed at the site.

In a statement last year, Jaish acknowledged that at least 10 relatives of its leader, Masood Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist, were killed at the Bahawalpur facility in the Indian strikes.

High-resolution satellite images sourced from the U.S.-based space technology firm Vantor and analysed by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team show that the mosque’s damaged domes have now been repaired. The domes appear in a distinctly darker shade, indicating fresh cement work, in contrast to the lighter paint visible in imagery from before the strikes.

The Bahawalpur centre is not the only Jaish-linked site undergoing renovation. Another set of satellite images, dated April 22 this year, from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), shows similar activity at a Jaish-linked facility known as the Syedna Bilal Mosque. The structure, which was damaged during the Operation Sindoor strikes, now appears to be undergoing complete site clearance with presence of material and supplies for further construction.

“Recent imagery indicates that reconstruction activity is underway at the site in Bahawalpur previously targeted by India. The domes above Markaz Subhan Allah, which had sustained visible damage, now appear restored, suggesting a push to return the facility to operational status. Additional activity is also evident at complex, where debris from other impacted structures is being cleared. Heavy machinery is observed on site, continuing debris removal nearly a year after the strike.” Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at the Intel Lab who observed the recent activity at the site, told India Today. \

“Cross-referencing multiple imagery sources, including newly published visuals of the Syedna Bilal target, indicates the site has recently been demolished between March and April 2026. The scale of damage inflicted during India’s strike at this location in May 2025 appears to have compromised the building’s structural integrity, making repair unviable with authorities likely opting for a rebuild.” Symon added.

FATF Monitoring Under Question

Pakistan is monitored by the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards for its compliance with measures to control terror financing. However, social media posts by accounts linked to Jaish earlier indicated that the group has been running fundraising drives using digital wallets to rebuild parts of the Subhan Allah compound.

FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo, at the conclusion of the fourth FATF Plenary in October 2025, had said that Pakistan remained under a “process of follow-up” by the APG, and that its removal from the grey list did not amount to permanent relief from monitoring.

“Any country that has been on the grey list is not bulletproof against the actions of criminals — be they money launderers or terrorists. We invite all jurisdictions, including those that have been delisted, to continue their good work to prevent and deter such crimes,” she said in response to a question on Pakistan-based terror outfits.

However, six months later, the FATF President’s words appear to be undercut as new construction activity begins at properties linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad in plain view.

Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2022. An earlier India Today investigation, published months before the May 2025 Indian strikes, documented how Jaish’s headquarters had been expanding after Pakistan’s removal from the list.