In a major development following India’s retaliatory precision strikes under “Operation Sindoor,” the BJP has claimed that Abdul Rauf Azhar—a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed and the younger brother of Masood Azhar—has been eliminated. The airstrikes targeted nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Abdul Rauf Azhar was best known for masterminding the 1999 Indian Airlines IC-814 hijack, which forced India to release three terrorists, including his brother Masood Azhar, in exchange for hostages. He was also involved in other major terror attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot airbase strike.
According to the BJP, one of the targeted sites was the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur. A social media post by the party featured Abdul Rauf Azhar’s image with the word “eliminated” prominently displayed.
In a statement reportedly attributed to Masood Azhar, he confirmed the loss of several family members and aides in the strike. “Ten members of my family were blessed with this happiness together tonight… five are innocent children, my elder sister, her honorable husband… my beloved scholar Fazilah (niece)… my dear brother Huzaifah and his mother. Two more dear companions,” read the statement.
Masood Azhar added, “Rather, it comes to my heart again and again that I too would have joined this fourteen-member happy caravan. Time for their departure had come, but the Lord did not kill them,” suggesting he views the deaths as martyrdom.
The government has yet to officially confirm Abdul Rauf Azhar’s death, but his reported elimination marks a significant blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed’s leadership. Operation Sindoor has so far targeted key hubs responsible for orchestrating cross-border terrorism, as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan post-Pahalgam attacks.
