Masood Azhar’s Sister, 10 Of His Family Killed in Indian Strikes During Operation Sindoor
In a significant escalation, 10 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, including his sister and brother-in-law, were killed in Indian strikes on terror camps in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar admitted that 10 of his family members were killed in Indian airstrikes on Wednesday morning during Operation Sindoor. The strikes were part of India’s retaliatory action to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 Indian lives.
Officials confirmed the strikes targeted the Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s Punjab province—identified as a Jaish stronghold. Azhar’s family members, including his sister and brother-in-law, were reportedly inside the compound at the time of the attack.
Pakistani media initially reported 14 deaths at Azhar’s residence. Funeral rites are to be conducted in Bahawalpur.
According to officials, India struck nine terror bases in total—four in Pakistan’s Punjab and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Targets included training and logistics hubs of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Indian forces did not target Pakistani military installations, emphasising that the operation focused exclusively on terror infrastructure.
Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a key religious preacher affiliated with Lashkar, was also confirmed killed in the Kotli region of PoK.
“No civilian casualties have been reported,” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told the media. “Our operation was precise, based on credible intelligence, and aimed solely at dismantling cross-border terror infrastructure.”
In a televised statement, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged the strikes but called for calm, saying, “If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up these things. We have never initiated hostilities, but we will respond if attacked.”
India has warned Pakistan against pursuing any misadventure. “Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any escalation,” Wing Commander Singh said.
The strikes were reportedly completed within 25 minutes, reflecting high-level coordination between the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The strikes come two weeks after the deadly Pahalgam massacre, where 26 civilians were killed in a terror attack carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a known proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi approving the codename to symbolise justice and remembrance. “Sindoor” refers to the vermilion worn by married Hindu women—evoking the loss of several newlyweds during the Pahalgam carnage.
The coordinated operation was also a symbolic move, with women officers leading the press briefing to honour the widows of the victims.
India has reiterated that the strikes were defensive and measured. “We exercised our right to respond,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “Any further escalation will be Pakistan’s responsibility.”.
