How Hafiz Saeed's hideout is different from that of Osama Laden, Masood Azhar

Despite masterminding countless terror attacks in India and a $10 million bounty by the US, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed continues to live an open, and apparently fearless, life in a posh locality in Pakistan's Lahore.

Satellite images and footage exclusively accessed by India Today show the place in Johar town is unlike anything that one would associate with one of the most wanted terrorist leaders, living among civilians in the middle of Pakistan's second-largest city.

In comparison, Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the brain behind the 9/11 attacks in New York, was found hiding in plain sight in a compound in Abbottabad. In fact, the open spaces around the isolated sprawling compound allowed US Marine choppers to land and carry out the operation to snuff him out.

Another most-wanted terrorist, Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammad, responsible for the Pulwama attack in 2019 that killed over 40 soldiers, is also believed to reside in an isolated compound in Bahawalpur that is situated along a highway in Pakistan's Punjab.

Thus, the densely populated locality where Hafiz Saeed resides makes it difficult to conduct a military operation.

Moreover, Saeed's Lahore compound - a fortified house, a large building that houses a mosque and a madrasa (his working office), a private park - is shielded not only by his supporters but also by Pakistani security personnel.

This exposes Pakistan's claims that Saeed is serving a jail term for terror financing. Instead, Saeed, designated a global terrorist by both the United Nations and the United States, continues to operate openly in Pakistan.

In fact, he is believed to be the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack, where 26 tourists were killed. The attack was claimed by The Resistence Front (TRF) - an offshoot of the Saeed-led Lashkar.

What is of interest is the expansive Lahore compound. The main residence, which is the oldest property in the compound, houses Saeed's family. However, Saeed mostly operates out of the building next to it.

This building, which has expanded over the past 10 years, has a mosque, a madrassa, a residential area and a basement. Saeed spends most of the time in the day in the mosque. All his terror associates or so-called "students" reside here.

Earlier, the size of this building was very small. Then, the Al-Qadsia mosque in Lahore used to be his working office.

However, things changed after the Balakot airstrikes by India in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. The airstrikes, one of the most daring operations by the Indian Air Force (IAF), saw fighter jets pound terror launchpads in Pakistan.

The operation apparently instilled fear in the minds of terror leaders like Saeed. Since Balakot, a lot of Saeed's operations have shifted to this building.

In 2021, his security was further tightened after a car bomb exploded near the residence, killing three people.

The third part of the compound consists of a private park that has been carved out of a public park. The park is reserved for Saeed and is guarded 24x7.

In fact, such is the level of security that no civilian is allowed near the mosque or the compound. Visitors are screened by security personnel and flying of drones is banned near the area.