jaish-admits-op-sindoor-impact-azhar-s-family-torn

Months after India dismantled several terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under 'Operation Sindoor', a Jaish-e-Mohamad (JeM) commander has admitted that the family of Masood Azhar, the terror group’s leader, was "torn into pieces" in strikes on Bahawalpur.

In a viral video circulating online, JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri can be heard describing how the Indian armed forces infiltrated their hideout and launched an attack.

"Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar for protecting the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur," Kashmiri said in Urdu, with several armed security personnel surrounding him in the background.

 

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'Operation Sindoor'

Following the deaths of 26 civilians in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Indian armed forces, under 'Operation Sindoor', conducted coordinated overnight strikes on nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and PoK, targeting the core infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Pakistan later confirmed that nine sites were struck, including locations in Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muridke—known hubs of extremist activity.

Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s 12th largest city, was targeted, as it serves as JeM’s operational nerve centre. Located approximately 400 km from Lahore, it hosts JeM’s headquarters at the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, also known as the Usman-o-Ali campus.

 

Also Read: Why was Bahawalpur hit? Its link to Masood Azhar and Jaish

Formed in the early 2000s when UN proscribed terrorist Masood Azhar called for jihad in Kashmir, JeM has been responsible for numerous attacks on Indian soil over the past two decades. After Operation Sindoor, Pakistani media reported that Masood Azhar issued a statement acknowledging that 10 of his family members were killed in the Indian operation.

Azhar himself has been in hiding for years, with Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claiming that Islamabad was unaware of his whereabouts. In a June interview, Bhutto Zardari said his country would be "happy to" arrest him if India provides information confirming he is on Pakistani soil.

 

Also Read: Op Sindoor claims lives of 10 family members of Jaish chief