Dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar dead in ‘Operation Sindoor’?

One of the most notable outcomes of the 25-minute-long precision strikes by India on nine targets housing terror camps in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Jammu and Kashmir codenamed ‘Operation Sindhoor’ is the destruction of the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Bahawalpur — which also killed 14 family members of the dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar, the founder and leader of JeM.

Now the questions are rising whether Azhar himself is dead or alive, with Pakistani local media itself speculating on the matter, after confirming the deaths of many of his close relatives.

Designated an international terrorist by the United Nations Security Council since May 1, 2019, Azhar has been implicated in numerous attacks against India, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot airbase strike.

Masood Azhar, who made a name as a fervent proponent of Pan-Islamism, anti-India rhetoric and terrorist operations, rose to prominence as the general secretary of Harkat-ul-Ansar in the early 1990s when he travelled extensively, to Zambia, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, the UK and Albania, all the while recruiting followers, raising funds and spreading his militant ideology.

He had played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s proxy war in Kashmir from where he was arrested while travelling under a false identity. He was captured near Anantnag. While in jail, Azhar became a bargaining chip at time Pak-trained terrorists began to target westerners as well. Azhar remained in prison in India until December 1999, when, India had to release Azhar in Kandahar following the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC814 in exchange for the safety of other passengers.

In fact, the operation also targeted other significant terrorist infrastructures, including locations in Muridke and Sialkot in Pakistan, as well as Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bagh in PoK. These sites were known hubs for terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), both of which, along with JeM, are designated terrorist organizations by the UN and several countries, including the US, UK, and India.

India in a press meet held after the predawn strikes emphasised that the attacks were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” deliberately avoiding any Pakistani military installations. The primary objective was to dismantle terrorist infrastructures and prevent future attacks on Indian soil.

Operation Sindoor marks a significant moment in India’s counter-terrorism efforts, signaling a more assertive stance against cross-border terrorism and the infrastructures that support it.

India-PakistanJaish-e-MohammedMasood AzharOperation SindoorPahalgamterror attack