JeM’s Masood Azhar's kin killed in Operation Sindhoor ! Who is Masood Azhar ?

In a major counter-terror move, Indian precision strikes in Bahawalpur have reportedly killed 14 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, including his sister, nephew, niece, and brother-in-law. The action was taken in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this week. Azhar himself confirmed the deaths through a statement acknowledging the loss of his relatives in the Bahawalpur airstrike.

Also read: India targets 9 terror camps in PoK and Pakistan; Strike footage released 

Masood Azhar is one of India’s most wanted terrorists and has been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council since May 2019. India also declared him a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in September of the same year. He is believed to be the mastermind behind several deadly terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the Pulwama bombing in 2019, the Pathankot airbase attack in 2016, and several assaults on security forces across Jammu and Kashmir.

Azhar was arrested in 1994 but released in 1999 during the Kandahar hijacking crisis in exchange for Indian hostages. He later founded JeM, which maintains close ties with Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and has been involved in planning and financing terrorist operations.

The Indian government closely monitored Operation Sindhoor, where the military used drones, stand-off weapons, and precision-guided munitions to destroy nine terror hideouts, including the one in Bahawalpur.