The family of Masood Azhar, the terrorist leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, was targeted and killed during the Indian Air Force’s Operation Sindoor. This information has been disclosed by Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, a prominent figure within the group, five months after the incident. Kashmiri stated that the attack occurred on the night of May 7th, targeting Azhar’s family members in Bahawalpur, where they were sleeping. The airstrike resulted in the family’s fragmentation. Kashmiri emphasized the need to understand the context of these losses.
Kashmiri’s statements were made during a rally in Pakistan. He leads Jaish’s ideological wing and is considered a close confidante of Masood Azhar. He actively participates with Azhar in indoctrinating young recruits. Kashmiri is also a high-ranking individual on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) list of wanted terrorists.
14 family members lost their lives in the attack.
The strike took place at a madrassa in Bahawalpur, a location associated with Masood Azhar. 14 members of Azhar’s family were present at the madrassa at the time of the attack, and all were killed. Following the attack, Azhar issued a statement.
In the statement, Azhar indicated that he no longer desired to live. Media reports in Pakistan suggested that Azhar’s sister and brother-in-law were among those killed in Operation Sindoor.
Masood Azhar has been in hiding since the operation.
Azhar’s current location remains unknown. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif recently denied the presence of terrorists within Pakistan. Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto suggested that Azhar and other terrorists could be hiding in Afghanistan, a claim that has not been officially addressed by Afghanistan.
Operation Sindoor Overview:
In late April, Pakistani terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In response, Indian security forces launched Operation Sindoor. The operation targeted and destroyed nine terrorist training camps in Pakistan.
These camps were utilized by both Lashkar and Jaish. Roughly 100 terrorists were killed during the operation. The Indian government has confirmed that the operation is ongoing.