Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Maulana Masood Azhar confirmed on Wednesday that 10 of his family members and four of his close aides were killed after India launched a missile strike on the terrorist outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur.
A statement attributed to Azhar confirmed that the casualties from the missile strike on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur included his elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family. The statement also mentioned that several others were seriously injured. The strikes were aimed at areas "where terrorist attacks against India have been planned," the Indian military said in a statement on Wednesday.
Almost Entire Family Wiped Out
"Ten members of my family were blessed with this happiness together tonight... five are innocent children, my elder sister, her honorable husband," Azhar's statement read.
"My scholar Fazil bhanje (nephew) and his wife and my beloved scholar Fazilah (bhanji) ... my dear brother Huzaifah and his mother. Two more dear companions," he said, adding that that those killed have become the guests of Allah.
"This act of brutality has broken all boundaries. There should be no expectation of mercy now," the statement from Azhar added.
Following the death of his family members, Masood Azhar said that he has "no regret or despair" over the loss. "Rather, it comes to my heart again and again that I too would have joined this fourteen-member happy caravan," he added.
The 56-year-old Azhar, who has been listed a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council, is linked to several major terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
Although it is widely believed that he is living in Pakistan, Islamabad continues to deny having any knowledge of his whereabouts.
No Tolerance from India
Bahawalpur became the central base of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) after Masood Azhar was released in 1999 as part of a exchange for the hijacked passengers of IC-814 flight. On Wdnesday, India launched 24 precision-guided missiles targeting nine sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
According to Indian government sources, the strikes killed over 70 terrorists and left more than 60 injured.
Indian officials have expressed regret over the loss of civilian lives but stressed that every possible step was taken to minimize such casualties. They noted that each target was thoroughly reviewed and confirmed to have direct connections to terrorist operations.
"The nature of asymmetric warfare, however, often sees terrorist groups embed their facilities in densely populated civilian areas, complicating any effort to avoid non-combatant casualties completely. The collateral damage was notably restrained, especially considering the scale and spread of the operation. This restraint was attributed to India's use of precision-guided munitions, as well as the selection of targets during late-night hours when civilian presence was minimal," a government source told local outlet NDTV.
