JeM Commander Admits Masood Azhar’s Family Killed in Bahawalpur during ‘Op-Sindoor’

New Delhi, Sept 16: In a rare admission, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander has confirmed that Indian forces killed family members of terror mastermind Masood Azhar during strikes in Bahawalpur under Operation Sindoor.

In a viral video, JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri recalled the May 7 assault, saying, “On May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar’s family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur.” He was seen speaking in Urdu, flanked by armed men.

The strikes, carried out jointly by the Army, Navy and Air Force, were India’s retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, J&K, that killed 26 civilians. Nine terror facilities linked to JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen were hit in Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muridke.

Indian officials clarified that no military installations were targeted and no civilian casualties were reported on India’s assessment. Pakistan, however, claimed 26 deaths and 46 injuries.

Bahawalpur, home to JeM’s operational HQ at Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, was a key target. Reports from Pakistani media and intelligence circles indicated that at least 10 of Azhar’s family members were killed, including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children. Four close JeM associates also died.

Among the dead was Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law and senior JeM leader wanted in India for the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him.

Operation Sindoor marked India’s strongest cross-border response in recent years, striking deep inside Pakistan’s terror infrastructure. (Agencies)