Months after India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri admitted that the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar was “torn into pieces” in the Bahawalpur strikes on 7 May, India TV reported.
In a video, Kashmiri, surrounded by armed terrorists on stage, he stated, “Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar for protecting the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on 7 May in Bahawalpur, Maulana Masood Azhar’s family was torn into pieces by Indian forces.”
Earlier in May, Azhar confirmed that 10 members of his family and four close aides were killed in an Indian Air Force strike on a complex in Punjab’s Bahawalpur, later identified as the JeM headquarters.
During Operation Sindoor, Indian armed forces struck four terrorist sites in Punjab—home to JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba and five sites in PoK.
Key targets included the Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur, a known hub of terrorist activity. Officials clarified that the operation hit terror infrastructure, not Pakistani military installations.
Bahawalpur houses Azhar’s stronghold, four JeM training centres, the Pakistan Army headquarters, and an airbase.
Azhar owns two houses in the city, one next to Osman-O-Ali Masjid and another near Jamia Mosque, close to the Lahore High Court’s Bahawalpur bench and District Collector’s office.
Azhar, involved in multiple major attacks including the 2001 Indian Parliament, 2008 Mumbai, 2016 Pathankot, and 2019 Pulwama attacks.
India has repeatedly demanded his extradition, but Pakistan denies harboring him despite mounting evidence.
