• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Masood Azhar family killed: Months after the Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor, a series of coordinated overnight strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) a video featuring Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri has gone viral. In the clip, Kashmiri admits that the family of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar was “torn into pieces” during the precision strike on Bahawalpur on May 7.

Surrounded by armed cadres, Kashmiri is heard recalling how Indian forces entered their stronghold. “Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar to protect the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur,” he said in Urdu.

Earlier in May, Masood Azhar himself released a statement acknowledging that ten members of his family, along with four close aides, were killed in the Bahawalpur strike. The casualties reportedly included Azhar’s elder sister, her husband, a nephew, his wife, a niece, and several children. Despite the loss, Azhar declared he had “no regrets” and wished to have died alongside his family.

Who is Masood Azhar?

• Founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM): Established the Pakistan-based terror outfit in 2000.
• Age & Background: Born in 1968, currently 56 years old.
• Global Terror Tag: Listed as a UN-designated international terrorist in 2019.
• Mastermind behind major attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, 2008 Mumbai attacks, 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
• IC-814 Hijack Release: Freed from Indian custody in December 1999 after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar.
• Public Speeches: In November 2023, he vowed renewed attacks in Jammu and Kashmir during a speech in Punjab province.
• Current Status: Believed to be in Pakistan, protected by the state, and continuing to guide JeM’s terror network.

Pakistan has long denied Azhar’s presence within its borders. But, his speeches, movement, and now the confession of his aides highlight Islamabad’s duplicity. In a past interview, Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his government would be “happy to” arrest Azhar if India provided actionable evidence, remarks widely dismissed as political rhetoric.

ALSO READ: How JeM Is Using Digital Wallets, Social Media, And 'Mosques' To Raise Rs 3.91 Billion Under Pakistan's Nose

Operation Sindoor: India’s Precision Strikes

Operation Sindoor was launched weeks after 26 civilians lost their lives in a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. According to officials, Indian forces struck nine terror facilities—four in Pakistan’s Punjab province and five in PoK—crippling the infrastructure of both Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

ALSO READ: Pakistan's Terror Universities 'Permanently Closed' : Jaish Headquarters In Bahawalpur Wiped Off After Operation Sindoor

One of the most significant targets was the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur, widely known as JeM’s operational hub. Pakistani media later confirmed the strikes, with officials in Islamabad admitting that nine sites were hit, including Kotli and Muridke.