Indian Airstrike On Pakistan: Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief and 26/11 mastermind Masood Azhar on Wednesday claimed that at least 10 members of his family and four of his close associates have been killed in Indian strikes on terror camps in Pakistan's Bahalwapur, which has been a stronghold of Jaish.

According to a report by PTI, Masood Azhar said that four of his immediate family members, including his elder sister, her husband, his nephew and his wife, have been killed in strikes. A statement attributed to Azhar, reported by PTI, said those killed in the attack on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur included five children from JeM chief's extended family.

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The statement further mentioned that the attack also claimed the lives of one of Azhar’s close associates and his mother, along with two other close companions. "This act of brutality has broken all boundaries. There should be no expectation of mercy now," the statement said, as reported by PTI.

This came hours after India carried out "Operation Sindoor" late Tuesday night to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. India struck nine terror camps inside undisputed Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Bahawalpur became the hub of the JeM after the release of Azhar in exchange for the hijacked passengers of IC-814 in 1999. In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.

The elusive Azhar, who has not been seen in public since April 2019, is believed to be hiding in a "safe place" in Bahawalpur. The group has been involved in a series of terror attacks in India, including the Parliament attack in 2001, the strike on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2000, the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016 and the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019.

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Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that all those injured in the Bahawalpur attack have been shifted to Victoria Hospital and given the best treatment. The Pakistan military said that 26 people were killed and 46 others injured in the attack.