The Abbas Camp, formally known as Markaz Saidna Hazrat Abbas Bin Abdul Mutalib (Markaz Abbas), stands out as one of the most significant militant installations in Kotli district, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Frequently cited in Indian Army reports and open-source intelligence, it has long been regarded as a training and launch facility for cross-border terror operations.
Why Abbas Camp Was Targeted
Abbas Camp has repeatedly drawn attention due to its direct role in facilitating terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir:
• Terrorist training base: The site trained fresh recruits in handling small arms, explosives, and infiltration tactics.
• Launchpad for infiltration: Its proximity to the Line of Control (LoC) made it an ideal staging area for militants preparing to cross into J&K.
• Logistics and command hub: Beyond training, the camp housed commanders, managed weapons storage, and coordinated infiltration routes.
• High-value strike target: Its constant activity and concentration of cadres made it a priority for Indian counterterrorism operations.
• Retaliatory motive: Following major attacks in India, including the Uri terror strike of 2016, Abbas Camp was among the launchpads reportedly targeted during India’s surgical strikes.
In May 2025, the camp was once again explicitly targeted during Operation Sindoor, underscoring its ongoing importance to anti-India terror campaigns.
Location and Capacity
Situated just 2 km southeast of the Kotli military camp Coordinates(33°30’30″N 73º54’23″E), Markaz Abbas is unique in its dual identity—it functions both as a religious complex and as a terror infrastructure site. Intelligence assessments estimate its capacity at 100–125 cadres, with 40–50 operatives typically present at any given time. The camp’s functions span arms storage, training, indoctrination, and infiltration staging.
Following the Pathankot attack in 2016, the camp’s strategic importance increased significantly when Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) shifted its weapons storage from Daska Markaz in Sialkot to Markaz Abbas, solidifying its role as a critical logistics hub.
Leadership and Handlers
Although often described as an LeT suicide training center, multiple intelligence sources confirm that Markaz Abbas is in fact a JeM-controlled site. Its leadership reflects Jaish’s senior-most operatives:
• Hafiz Abdul Shakoor (Qari Zarrar):
• Founding member of JeM (with prior roots in Harkat-ul-Mujahideen).
• Shura council member and close aide to JeM chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar.
• Wanted by India’s NIA for the 2016 Nagrota (Baleeni Bridge) attack.
• Personally involved in weapons transfers between Kotli and Sialkot.
• Other known JeM cadres based at the camp:
• Qari Maaz (son of Qari Zarrar; ex-Afghanistan wing operative; now oversees infiltrations into North Kashmir).
• Mohammad Maviya Khan.
• Tahir Nazir.
• Abu Bakr.
This leadership core ensured that Markaz Abbas was not just a training ground, but a fully integrated hub in JeM’s operational chain.
A Symbol of Hybrid Infrastructure
Markaz Abbas exemplifies how militant groups in PoK camouflage military assets within religious structures. Behind the façade of a mosque and madrasa lies a facility used for indoctrination, arms storage, and planning of high-profile attacks.
Its evolution after Pathankot transformed it into one of JeM’s most dangerous assets—a loaded gun, primed for infiltration into Indian territory.
Conclusion
While the Shawai Nallah camp is often described as Lashkar-e-Taiba’s “engine room,” Markaz Abbas has become Jaish-e-Mohammed’s most potent launchpad. Its combination of veteran leadership, growing arsenal, and proximity to infiltration routes made it a natural choice for targeting in India’s 2025 Operation Sindoor.
Markaz Abbas remains a powerful reminder of how deeply entrenched militant infrastructure in PoK continues to shape the cross-border security landscape.