The administrative building was named after an LeT suicide bomber, Wali Mohammed, who had fallen to the bullets of the Quick Response Team (QRT) commandos from the 36th battalion of the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles. The encounter had occurred inside a forest in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The QRT commandos were pressed into action by the Indian Army to track and kill terrorists based on specific intelligence received either from army intelligence or the state police. The QRT was referred to simply as ‘Hunters’ in army and police circles.

‘All is fine, brothers. Mubarak sahib?’ Yusuf said, shoving the recruits’ documents into one of the drawers of the large table that he was seated behind.

‘Introduce yourselves, brothers from Hindustan!’ said Mubarak.

The visitors identified themselves as per the cover identities assigned to them by the CTC.

‘Enjoy your stay here,’ Mubarak said. ‘You will leave for the LeT’s main training facility, Abdulla bin Masood Maaskar, to undergo the Daura-e-Aam, your basic training. We will see if you are up to it physically and mentally,’ Mubarak said before leaving the recruits to settle in and have a late dinner.

At 3 p.m. the next day, the five recruits set out with a guide, Hussein. Hamza had left the training camp that morning, after breakfast. Hussein had provided the recruits with hiking shoes, light sweaters and small rucksacks, each of which had a blanket, a packet of dried fruit, a torch and a hunter’s dagger with a long, curved blade.

Hussein led them up a long, winding road at the back of Bayt al-Mujahideen’s 150-acre campus that disappeared into the adjoining forest. After walking for around four kilometres, the six travellers arrived at the base of a mountain that must have been at least 800 metres high. It rose above the forest like a tower.

At the top of this mountain lay Abdulla bin Masood Maaskar, the Lashkar’s premier terrorist-training facility. From the base of the mountain, it was a six-hour trek to the camp. At the Maaskar, new recruits were put through the three-week Daura-e-Aam and then the Daura-e-Khaas, a specialized 120-day commando training course that imparted training in weapons, explosives, bomb-making and unarmed combat.

‘It will be a tough climb, so do not rush ahead like fools. Climb with sure feet and be careful where your feet land,’ Hussein said matter-of-factly.

The five new recruits were soon out of breath but Hussein kept going. ‘It is getting late. You can’t let Abdulla Mountain’s shadows fall on you as, after the sun sets, this becomes a playground of the wild bears, foxes and leopards,’ Hussein yelled. ‘Come on! Why are you walking like old aunts? Move your asses!’