Jammu, December 2, 2025: Nearly seven months after Pakistan suffered extensive damage to its border posts and terror infrastructure during India’s Operation Sindoor, the Border Security Force (BSF) has confirmed that Pakistan has reactivated more than 70 terror launch pads along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) near Jammu.

Senior BSF officers said that despite Islamabad initially shifting such facilities deeper inland to avoid detection, many of these launch pads have resurfaced close to the border, signalling renewed activity in the region.

72 launch pads reactivated along IB and LoC

At a press conference on Saturday, BSF Deputy Inspector General Vikram Kunwar said Pakistan moved its launch pads away from the border following the damage caused by Operation Sindoor.
“However, old habits die hard,” he stated.

“Twelve terror launch pads have become active near the International Border in Pakistan’s Sialkot and Zafarwal areas. The other 60 launch pads have come up in the areas across the LoC near Jammu,” Kunwar added.

According to officials, terrorist groups housed in these launch pads typically operate in small numbers of two or three, with their strength regularly fluctuating.

Damage from Operation Sindoor continues to shape border dynamics

Operation Sindoor — launched on the night of May 6–7, 2025, in retaliation to a terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people — involved precision strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Key hubs hit included Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad and Kotli.

Kunwar said that 118 Pakistani posts were severely damaged during the operation:

  • 72 posts along the International Border in Hiranagar, Samba and Jammu
  • 46 posts along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch

“Their surveillance system was also destroyed,” he noted. “This information was not immediately available after the cessation of hostilities in May but has emerged now.”

He added that while no terror training camps currently exist directly across the IB, there are reports of such camps operating in depth areas across the LoC.

Pakistani forces return as BSF boosts monitoring

BSF Inspector General Shashank Anand said Pakistani Rangers who abandoned their posts during Operation Sindoor have now returned.
“We are keeping a close watch on all activity and installations across the border,” he said.

He noted that Pakistani forces are rebuilding, restoring abandoned posts and continuing their long-practised tactics, including digging tunnels. The BSF, he said, is countering these efforts through advanced monitoring tools such as ground surveillance radars, electro-optical thermal systems and UAVs.

Drone threats increase; India enhances countermeasures

Anand highlighted that drones have been a growing threat since 2019, used for cross-border smuggling and surveillance.
“The BSF has not only trained its troops but has also installed counter-drone systems,” he said.

The BSF’s School of Drone Warfare in Gwalior has signed MoUs with IIT Delhi and IIT Chennai to develop better counter-drone technologies.
“We feel the aerial dimension will always be part of future wars or even cross-border firing,” Anand said, noting recent global conflicts where drone warfare has played a significant role.

Security agencies remain on high alert

With Pakistan reportedly reactivating terror launch pads and restoring surveillance infrastructure, security agencies along the Jammu frontier remain on heightened alert. The BSF is expected to intensify patrolling, strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms and continue deploying advanced technology to prevent infiltration attempts.

Officials emphasised that India’s response will continue to prioritise vigilance and preparedness, especially given the evolving nature of cross-border threats.