Ind-Pak tension: 14 relatives of JeM Chief Masood Azhar killed
The statement claims that Azhar’s sister, brother-in-law, nephew, nephew’s wife, niece, and five of their children were among those killed in the strike.
KATHMANDU: A recent airstrike carried out amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan has reportedly killed 14 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, according to a statement released Wednesday.
The statement claims that Azhar’s sister, brother-in-law, nephew, nephew’s wife, niece, and five of their children were among those killed in the strike.
Additionally, three of Azhar’s close associates, including the mother of one of the aides, also lost their lives.
The airstrike, which targeted suspected militant hideouts, comes as part of continued counter-terrorism operations following years of cross-border hostility between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Masood Azhar, a designated global terrorist, founded Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2000 and has been responsible for orchestrating several major attacks on Indian soil.
The group has been at the center of Indo-Pakistani tensions, particularly after the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019, when a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
That incident marked one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent history and triggered a series of military escalations, including India’s Balakot air strike.
Indian authorities have not officially confirmed the recent strike or the reported casualties among Azhar’s family.
However, unnamed intelligence sources suggest that the operation was intended to dismantle key elements of JeM’s command structure.
The location of Masood Azhar himself remains unclear.
Pakistan has long denied harboring the militant leader, despite international pressure and mounting evidence of his continued influence over JeM’s activities.
