NEW DELHI: Indian security and intelligence agencies have flagged several mosque construction and expansion projects along key road corridors connecting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with Pakistan, raising concerns that some complexes could be used as bases by terror groups, officials said.
More than a dozen locations along major roads have been identified where new mosques are being built or existing complexes expanded. Some of the sites are close to the Line of Control (LoC).
The corridors include the Islamabad-Murree-Kohala-Muzaffarabad highway, the main route into PoK, and the Muzaffarabad-Mansehra-Abbottabad road, which connects the region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Agencies have also flagged construction along the Muzaffarabad-Chakothi road, which runs close to the LoC.
In southern PoK, similar developments have been reported along the Rawalakot-Azad Pattan, Kotli-Kahuta, Mirpur-Dina and Bhimber-Gujrat corridors, which connect the region with Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Gujrat districts.
Officials said the construction activity was a concern as it coincided with the development of military infrastructure in the region. Intelligence assessments suggest that some expanded complexes could function as sub-headquarters for terror organisations.
The assessment points to a possible shift from a few large terror hubs to a network of smaller facilities housing cadres, logistics and other resources. Officials believe such a dispersed network could be less vulnerable to targeted strikes while allowing easier movement and supply through existing road networks.
The developments come months after Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces struck nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and PoK on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Ministry of Defence described the strikes as focused, measured and non-escalatory. The sites included Bahawalpur and Muridke, which Indian agencies associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, respectively.
Muridke was identified as a major Lashkar-e-Taiba centre, highlighting India's concerns over the use of established complexes as terror infrastructure.
Officials said the latest construction activity was being closely monitored amid suspicions that the expansion could be part of an attempt to establish a more decentralised network of facilities across PoK.