In a revalidating revelation, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) top commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri has admitted that the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar was “torn into pieces” in an Indian airstrike on May 7. The strike, ‘Operation Sindoor,’ targeted JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
“….We fought Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar to protect the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on May 7 in Bahawalpur, Maulana Masood Azhar’s family was torn into pieces by Indian forces,” Kashmiri said in a video statement, surrounded by gun-wielding security personnel.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted multiple terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur.
According to reports, 10 members of Azhar’s family were killed in the strike, including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew, and his wife, a niece, and five children. Four close associates were also reportedly eliminated.
Kashmiri’s admission validates India’s intelligence assessments that Bahawalpur remains JeM’s nerve centre despite Pakistan’s denial to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and international watchdogs.
While Pakistan has repeatedly denied any role in cross-border terrorism, with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claiming that Islamabad is unaware of Azhar’s whereabouts, Kashmiri’s latest statement raises questions about Pakistan’s alleged support for terrorist groups.