Operation Sindoor: 10 family members and 4 aides of Jaish chief Masood Azhar killed in Indian strikes: Report
PTC Web Desk: In a bold and strategic counter-terror operation dubbed Operation Sindoor, India launched a series of precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early Tuesday morning, between 1.05 am and 1.30 am. The mission was carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre, where 26 civilians—mostly tourists—were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
One of the major targets of the operation was the Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur, Punjab province of Pakistan, a major base of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). According to a report by BBC Urdu, JeM chief Masood Azhar confirmed that 10 members of his family and four of his close aides were killed in the strike.
Among the dead were Azhar’s elder sister and her husband, his nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children belonging to the family. In addition, the strike also claimed the lives of Azhar’s mother, a trusted aide, and two more close associates, the report cited.
The Subhan Allah complex, spread across 18 acres, was known as the Usman-o-Ali campus, functioning as JeM's hub for recruitment, indoctrination, and fundraising. The site, which housed a mosque, has been reduced to rubble.
Bahawalpur, the hometown of Azhar and the 12th largest city in Pakistan, lies approximately 400 km from Lahore. The complex, heavily guarded and significant for JeM’s operational planning, has now been obliterated.
Another significant target of the strike was the Masjid wa Markaz Taiba in Muridke, a stronghold of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), associated with 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Muridke was historically used as a training centre for terrorists like Ajmal Kasab. This strike alone reportedly killed around 30 terrorists.
In total, the Indian operation targeted nine terror camps linked to JeM, LeT, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Reports indicate that between 70 and 80 terrorists were neutralised across various locations, although official confirmation is pending.
Meanwhile, in response to heightened cross-border tensions, 10 Indian civilians have been killed and 33 injured due to cross-border shelling near the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB). Home Minister Amit Shah has ordered immediate evacuation and relocation of civilians from affected areas.
Masood Azhar, the founder of JeM in 2000, has long been a symbol of India-Pakistan tensions. He was infamously released in 1999 by India in exchange for hostages from Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, which had been hijacked and taken through Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and finally Kandahar under Taliban control. One passenger was murdered during the crisis.
- With inputs from agencies
