Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar on Wednesday acknowledged that 14 people, including 10 of his family members and four close associates, were killed in the Indian missile strike targeting the group’s headquarters in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
The strike, part of India’s Operation Sindoor, hit Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, a key site believed to function as the JeM headquarters.
In a statement attributed to Azhar, the JeM leader said those killed included his elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family. He also confirmed the deaths of one of his long-time associates and his mother, as well as two other companions closely linked to JeM operations.
This is the first direct acknowledgment from Azhar regarding the impact of India’s strike on JeM leadership and infrastructure. Indian officials have not commented on the casualty details released by Azhar but have maintained that no civilian targets were intentionally hit during the operation.
The Indian government has described the strikes as precision-targeted, aiming to “dismantle terror infrastructure without provoking a broader escalation”.
