JeM chief Masood Azhar accepts death of 10 family members in Indian strike in Pakistan: Report

Indian precision strikes in Bahawalpur killed ten family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, including his sister, a News18 report citing sources said. The operation was carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that took place early Wednesday. Citing sources, the News18 report said that brother-in-law of the UN-designated terrorist was also among those killed in the early morning strikes. Pakistani media reports have published Azhar's statement confirming the development. The terrorist says that his nephew, niece among 14 family members were killed in the Bahawalpur airstrike.

Who is India's most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar?

Masood Azhar was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council back in May 2019, and India officially labeled him a terrorist under the stringent UAPA in September of the same year.

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In India, he has been linked to several major terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2019 Pulwama bombing, the 2001 assault on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that killed 38 people, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and multiple attacks on BSF camps in Srinagar, Pulwama, and Jammu.

Why India had to release Masood Azhar: Kandhaar hijack

Azhar was arrested by Indian authorities in 1994 but was released in 1999 in exchange for hostages during the IC-814 hijacking. Following his release, he founded the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

According to the UN Security Council, Jaish-e-Mohammed has ties with Al-Qaida and the Taliban and has been involved in financing, planning, and carrying out terrorist operations.

India strikes back: Operation Sindoor

PTI quoted sources as saying that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely. It is learnt that the Indian armed forces used stand-off weapons, drones and precision munitions, besides other weapons in the strike.

(With agency inputs)