Did Masood Azhar's Family Suffer in 'Operation Sindoor'?

Islamabad, Sep 16 (NationPress) Following India's significant dismantling of terrorist infrastructure during 'Operation Sindoor', a commander from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has revealed that the family of the group's founder, Masood Azhar, was severely impacted during the Indian military strikes in Bahawalpur.

According to a video circulated on social media by BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, a JeM commander accompanied by armed personnel, acknowledges the considerable losses faced by the terror organization due to India's 'Operation Sindoor'.

This admission follows the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in 26 fatalities, leading India to conduct retaliatory strikes against key terror targets of JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan later confirmed that nine locations were targeted, including Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muridke, all recognized as terror strongholds.

Bahawalpur, the 12th largest city in Pakistan, serves as a crucial operational center for JeM, hosting the group's headquarters at Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, also known as the Usman-o-Ali campus.

In his speech, Masood Ilyas Kashmiri stated, “This absurdity of terrorism, which we hold dear for the ideological and geographical boundaries of our nation (Pakistan), has led to conflicts with Delhi, Kabul, and Kandahar at different times.”

“After losing everything, on May 7, the family of Maulana Masood Azhar, including his women and children, were killed and devastated in Bahawalpur,” he added.

Jaish-e-Mohammad, founded in the early 2000s after the UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar called for jihad in Kashmir, has carried out numerous attacks on Indian territory.

Following the precise strikes of 'Operation Sindoor', reports emerged that Azhar himself acknowledged the death of ten family members due to the Indian offensive.

With the Pakistani establishment assisting terror groups like LeT and JeM in rebuilding their operations, ensuring the safety of their leaders has become a priority. Post-Indian strikes and the recent 'Operation Mahadev', the morale of the cadre is reported to be quite low.

Consequently, top-tier security has been provided to LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and JeM leader Masood Azhar. Intelligence officials indicate that the morale among JeM members is significantly lower compared to that of LeT.

This situation stems from several factors, with 'Operation Sindoor' hitting JeM the hardest.

While Azhar is unable to appear publicly due to intense tracking by Indian agencies, the ISI has relocated him multiple times since 'Operation Sindoor'.

For nearly ten days, he was sheltered in a safe house in Rawalpindi. Subsequently, Pakistan's former Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto, claimed that Azhar was moved to Afghanistan.

Moreover, JeM has opted not to reconstruct its headquarters at the previous location, instead seeking a site closer to a military installation in Pakistan.