‘Embraced terror and fought India’: JeM commander hails Masood Azhar for attacks on India

Masood Azhar, designated a global terrorist by the UN in 2019, is among India’s most-wanted terrorists. (File photo)

A high-ranking commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group has openly glorified alleged terrorist attacks on India during a recent religious conference in Pakistan.

The 38th annual ‘Mission Mustafa’ event, held last week in Balakot tehsil’s Gadi Habibullah, drew thousands of attendees and featured speeches by Islamic scholars. Though the event focused on ‘Khatm-e-Nubuwat’, the finality of Prophet Mohammed, one particular speech stood out for its pro-jihad rhetoric.

A video of JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, now going viral on social media, shows him praising JeM founder Masood Azhar and celebrating past attacks against India.

“Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul, and Kandahar to protect the borders of this country [Pakistan],” Kashmiri can be seen, saying in Urdu, with armed guards visible in the background.

🚨 #Exclusive 🇵🇰👺

Jaish-e-Mohamad top commander Masood ilyas kashmiri admits that On 7th May his leader Masood Azhar's family was torn into pieces in Bahawalpur attack by Indian forces.

Look at the number of gun-wielding security personnel in the background. According to ISPR… pic.twitter.com/OLls70lpFy

— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) September 16, 2025

“After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur,” he added.

His remarks referred to Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the April 22 heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians.

Indian armed forces, on the intervening night of May and May 8, targeted nine terrorist bases and training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur.

“Masood Azhar is a global symbol of resistance… discussed by world powers from Washington to Moscow,” Kashmiri claimed in his speech, allegedly glorifying the JeM founder’s role.

As per a statement by Azhar, 10 members of his family were killed during the operation.

Masood Azhar, designated a global terrorist by the UN in 2019, is among India’s most-wanted terrorists. He has been linked to the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai 26/11 strikes. Captured in 1999 following the IC-814 hijacking, he was later released in exchange for hostages and has since found refuge in Pakistan.

New Delhi has repeatedly demanded that Islamabad hand over Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed.