In a remarkable admission that pierces through years of Pakistani denials and diplomatic obfuscation, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, the operational commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, has publicly conceded the devastating impact of India's Operation Sindoor on the outfit's infrastructure, reported NDTV News.

Operation Sindoor was meticulously launched in response to the brutal April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where LeT operatives, masquerading under the banner of The Resistance Front (TRF), slaughtered 26 civilians.

Speaking to a gathering, Rauf—a US-designated global terrorist responsible for training militants and orchestrating launches from Pakistan Army-backed pads in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK)—described the Indian strikes on the night of 6-7 May 2025 as "a very big attack."

He lamented that the Markaz-e-Taiba complex in Muridke, which he explicitly called LeT's headquarters, had been reduced to rubble. "What happened on May 6-7, that place is no longer a mosque. Today, we cannot even sit there. It is finished; it has collapsed," Rauf stated bluntly.

This confession strips away the final veil of plausible deniability surrounding the site, confirming India's precision strike hit its mark squarely.

Rauf's stature within LeT amplifies the significance of his words. Previously, he led funeral prayers for terrorists killed in the operation, with images circulating widely online.

Months on, his candid remarks expose the extent of the losses inflicted on what was once a nerve centre for jihadist operations.

Investigations into the Pahalgam outrage revealed the attackers wielded Chinese-made weapons and gear, signalling a sophisticated supply chain bolstering Pakistan-sponsored terror networks. Rauf himself corroborated this, admitting that LeT and Pakistani forces employed Chinese equipment during the ensuing confrontations.

Yet his disclosures extended far beyond structural damage, venturing into brazen revelations about Pakistan's terror ecosystem. He boasted that Islamabad has granted "open freedom for jihad," rendering recruitment and training smoother in Pakistan than anywhere globally. "The state has decided, that's why we are able to do this," he declared, validating New Delhi's longstanding accusations of institutional patronage.

Rauf lavished praise on China too, claiming Beijing's aid during the post-Pahalgam tensions—dubbed "Bunyan-e-Marsous" by militants—furnished Pakistan with near real-time intelligence on Indian movements.

In a telling flourish, he mocked India's air assets, sneering that "those whose aircraft used to sell have turned to scrap," while touting surging worldwide demand for Chinese jets and weaponry.

This narrative weaves strategic bravado with propaganda, aimed at rallying supporters amid evident setbacks.

The admission lands amid stark irony. Just last week, on 15 January 2026, LeT held a passing-out parade for fresh recruits at the very Markaz-e-Taiba site Rauf now deems obliterated.

Top figures including Rauf, Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, and deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri attended, flaunting operational continuity despite the strikes.

Such audacity hints at rapid rebuilding or relocation, all under apparent state indulgence in Pakistan.

Rauf's oratory blended victimhood, defiance, and religious zeal. "Allah saved us, Allah helped us," he proclaimed, even as he grappled with the strike's ferocity.

He vaunted Pakistan's intelligence prowess, asserting foreknowledge "down to the last detail," and framed the clashes as reverberating to America and Europe—a bid to inflate their global import.

A video of these remarks, obtained by NDTV Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul, lays bare the unvarnished truth long confined to intelligence briefs and diplomatic backchannels.

Pakistan's provision of safe haven to terror outfits persists unabated, months after a crisis that drew international scrutiny.

This time, the evidence emerges not from dossiers or briefings, but from a LeT commander's own lips—proof that will challenge Islamabad's evasions like never before.

For India, Rauf's words affirm Operation Sindoor's triumph in dismantling a key terror hub, while underscoring the enduring Pakistan-China nexus fuelling instability.

As geopolitical tensions simmer, such confessions may reshape narratives in global forums, pressing allies to confront Pakistan's jihadist enablers head-on.

Based On NDTV Report