Jaish chief Masood Azhar's family, aides killed in airstrikes under Operation Sindoor

Masood Azhar has reportedly confirmed that ten of his family members and four close aides were killed in Indian airstrikes carried out under Operation Sindoor.

Image Credit: Our own

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar has claimed that 10 of his family members and four close aides were killed in Indian airstrikes on the group’s stronghold in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, BBC Urdu reported. 

A statement attributed to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar confirmed that several members of his extended family were killed in the Indian strike on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, one of the key targets in Operation Sindoor. Among the dead were Azhar’s elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his family.

The statement also said the strike killed one of Azhar’s close aides and his mother, along with two other trusted associates. The mosque complex is known to be a JeM stronghold and part of the group's ideological and operational base.

“My beloved sister (may Allah elevate her ranks) and my brother-in-law, the esteemed Hafiz Sahib... my nephews and nieces, the beloved children of my sister and brother-in-law... the mother of our beloved brother Hafiz Iftikhar, the mother of two martyrs... may their graves be filled with light... such an enviable and joyous destiny... truly, they are the living guests of Allah," read the loosely translated Urdu statement.

Criticizing PM Modi, the statement read, “Modi martyred innocent children, women, and elders without mercy... such a heart-wrenching and soul-tearing tragedy... ‘Modi’, who has committed oppression against our innocent ones and left their house bathed in blood... Remember, the wrath and punishment of Allah will surely reach him... His generation will also remember the flames of this fire... his name will be a curse.”

The strike was part of Operation Sindoor—India’s military retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre, which left 26 people dead, most of them tourists. 

In the early hours of Wednesday, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

The Bahawalpur strike on the Subhan Allah complex was among the most significant hits in the coordinated assault.

In a swift and well-coordinated military operation early Wednesday, India launched major cross-border strikes targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The 25-minute-long operation, named Operation Sindoor, is India’s biggest such strike since the 2019 Balakot airstrike.

According to Indian military officials, the action was carried out in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians. India said it had credible intelligence about the locations of terrorist camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Key points of Operation Sindoor

• Nine terror facilities were hit in total — four inside Pakistan and five in PoK.
• The strikes were carried out using a mix of air, naval, and ground-based forces, under the cover of darkness.
• Around 80 to 90 terrorists were killed, according to early estimates.
• India used Rafale jets armed with SCALP cruise missiles and Hammer bombs to carry out precision strikes on high-value targets.
• Major Targets Included: JeM base in Bahawalpur and LeT headquarters in Muridke, each resulting in 25–30 terrorist deaths.
• Masjid wa Markaz Taiba in Muridke, a major ideological center for LeT, often called the "terror nursery" of Pakistan.
• Other targets included radicalisation centers, training camps, and launch pads in places like Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Sialkot.
• Indian intelligence agencies are still confirming the total number of casualties and damage at each site.

India's stand

India said the action was "measured and focused", only hitting terror-related infrastructure and avoiding Pakistani military targets. A government spokesperson stated that India showed "great restraint" in selecting targets and methods, aiming to avoid any major escalation.

After the strikes, the Indian Army released a video on social media with the caption: “Justice is served.”

Pakistan’s reaction

Pakistan confirmed that 26 civilians were killed and 46 injured in the Indian strikes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack a “blatant act of war” and warned that Pakistan would deliver a "befitting reply."

India, however, maintains that only terror camps were hit, and the operation was a response to recent terrorist violence, not an act of war.