JeM's big admission: 'Masood Azhar mastermind of Parliament attack, 26/11'

Terrorist Masood Azhar

In a major revelation, a high-ranking member of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has admitted that chief Masood Azhar personally oversaw terror strikes in Delhi and Mumbai, debunking Pakistan’s repeated denials of hosting terrorists on its soil.

JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri admitted in a video that Azhar -- among India’s most wanted terrorists -- plotted attacks from Pakistan following his release after five years in Indian custody.

“After escaping the prison of Tihar Jail in Delhi, Amir-ul-Mujahideen Maulana Masood Azhar comes to Pakistan. The soil of Balakot provides him a base to carry forward his vision, mission, and programme Delhi and Bombay [Mumbai]—this is how Maulana Masood Azhar, the Amir-ul-Mujahideen who terrorised the country, appears,” Kashmiri was quoted by India Today.

His statement leaves little room for Islamabad to deny presence of terror sanctuaries.

In his statement, the Jaish commander identified Balakot in Pakistan as the base for Azhar’s operations against India and glorified Osama bin Laden as a “martyr” who influenced their movement.

Separately, Kashmiri also admitted that the family of Masood Azhar was “torn into pieces” during India’s strike in Bahawalpur during Operation Sindoor.

“After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn into pieces in Bahawalpur,” he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The two key sites among the nine targeted were Muridke and Bahawalpur, headquarters of terror outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), respectively.

Who is Masood Azhar?

One of India’s most-wanted, Masood Azhar has played a role --directly or indirectly -- in the 2001 Parliament building attack and the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai.

Azhar founded JeM upon his release from prison in India in 1999. He was released from prison in exchange for 155 hostages held on IC-814 flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Azhar has also financially supported JEM since its founding.