JeM Leader's Family Killed in Indian Strikes: Commander Confirms

Lahore, September 16 (PTI): A commander from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has confirmed that the family of the terror group's leader, Masood Azhar, was gravely affected by Indian missile strikes on May 7 at their headquarters in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

In a video that gained significant attention on YouTube on Tuesday, JeM commander Ilyas Kashmiri expresses anger over the Indian strike that claimed the lives of Azhar's family, while also boasting about engaging in battles in neighboring countries on behalf of Pakistan.

Reportedly speaking in Urdu during the Mission Mustafa Conference in Punjab province on September 6, Kashmiri, surrounded by armed men, stated, "To protect the ideological and geographical boundaries of this country, we conduct jihad in Delhi, Kabul, and Kandhar. On May 7, after sacrificing everything, the family members of Maulana Masood Azhar in Bahawalpur were decimated in the Indian strikes."

India and Pakistan's tensions heightened following a terrorist assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the death of 26 individuals, predominantly civilians, on April 22.

As a strong counter-response to the Pahalgam tragedy, Indian military forces executed missile strikes on terror hubs, including Bahawalpur, noted as a JeM stronghold, on May 7 as a part of Operation Sindoor.

A statement attributed to Azhar revealed that India’s assault on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, about 400 km from Lahore, led to the deaths of ten of his family members and four close aides.

Among the deceased were Azhar's elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family.

The statement also noted the deaths of one of Azhar’s close associates and his mother, along with two other close companions.

High-ranking figures, including Pakistan Army generals, senior police, and top bureaucrats, reportedly attended the funerals of those who perished from the Indian strikes.

Bahawalpur became a pivotal location for the JeM following Azhar's release in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking passenger exchange.

In May 2019, following China's decision to remove its hold, the United Nations declared Azhar a "global terrorist," a move a decade in the making since India first approached the international community about the matter.

Azhar, unseen in public since April 2019, is believed to be hiding in a secure location in Bahawalpur.

The group has been linked to numerous terror events in India, such as the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2000 Jammu and Kashmir assembly assault, the 2016 attack on an IAF base in Pathankot, and the suicide bombing in Pulwama in 2019.

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