In a big blow to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), reports emerging early on May 7 claimed that ten family members of the UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s chief and mastermind of the Pulwama attack, Masood Azhar, were killed in the Indian strikes on Bahawalpur, Pakistan. These strikes, codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor,’ were a direct retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22.
According to sources, the casualties include Masood Azhar’s sister and his brother-in-law, both of whom were reportedly among those “blown up” in the precision strikes targeting JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur, located approximately 100 kilometers from the international border in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Initial reports from Pakistani media had suggested a higher death toll of 14 at Azhar’s residence.
BIG: Jaish e Muhammad Terrorist and the main conspirator in 2019 Pulwama attack #MasoodAzhar claims that 10 of his family members have been killed in India’s #OperationSindoor in Bahawalpur
Pakistan media had reported 14 people were killed in his house. Funeral 4pm at Bahawalpur pic.twitter.com/gQaztoBLeS
— Nishant Azad/निशांत आज़ाद🇮🇳 (@azad_nishant) May 7, 2025
In a statement attributed to Masood Azhar, the JeM chief himself reportedly admitted to the loss of ten family members and four close associates in the Indian military action. Their funeral is expected to take place in Bahawalpur. The Markaz Subhan Allah complex, situated on the outskirts of Bahawalpur along the NH-5 (Karachi-Torkham Highway), which housed Masood Azhar and his family, is reported to have been decimated in the attack. This complex served as a key center for the JeM, involved in the training and indoctrination of youth.
Indian officials have stated that ‘Operation Sindoor’ involved strikes on a total of nine terrorist targets. Four of these were located in Pakistan’s Punjab province, targeting the headquarters of both JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The remaining five targets were destroyed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was executed with precision, utilizing air strikes conducted by the Indian Air Force from within Indian airspace, employing standoff weapons.
