Masood Azhar’s Family Shattered in Bahawalpur Strikes: Jaish Commander Admits Fear of Operation Sindoor Still Haunts Terrorists
Months after the Indian Air Force unleashed Operation Sindoor, carrying out precision strikes on multiple terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), shocking admissions are now emerging from within the ranks of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
In a startling confession captured on video, Jaish commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri acknowledged that the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar was “torn into pieces” during the devastating IAF strikes on Bahawalpur on May 7.
The footage shows Kashmiri standing on stage, flanked by armed militants, his words laced with bitterness and helpless rage — a rare public acknowledgment of the fear and losses inflicted by Operation Sindoor.
We embraced terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul, and Kandahar to defend this country’s borders.
After sacrificing everything, on May 7 in Bahawalpur, Maulana Masood Azhar’s family was torn into pieces by Indian forces,” Kashmiri declared.
His statement underlines the deep psychological scars Operation Sindoor has left among terrorists, many of whom now operate in secrecy, shifting hideouts frequently, and dreading another Indian strike that could wipe them out in an instant.
Masood Azhar’s Personal Loss
Earlier in May, Masood Azhar himself admitted that 10 members of his family and four of his closest aides were killed in the Bahawalpur strike. This rare acknowledgment from the JeM chief confirmed the scale of destruction inflicted on the group’s core leadership and infrastructure.
The Indian strike targeted a vast terror complex in Punjab’s Bahawalpur district — long considered Azhar’s stronghold. The complex, known as the Subhan Allah camp, was one of JeM’s principal training and operational hubs.
Operation Sindoor: A Precision Offensive
The May 7 operation marked one of the boldest counter-terror offensives carried out by Indian forces in recent years. According to officials, four terror camps were struck deep inside Punjab province, including the strongholds of JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), while five other camps were destroyed in PoK.
The government clarified that no Pakistani military installations were targeted. Instead, the operation was designed with surgical precision to cripple terrorist infrastructure while sending a clear message to Islamabad: India will not hesitate to strike cross-border terror sanctuaries.
Bahawalpur: Epicenter of JeM Terror Network
Bahawalpur has long been the beating heart of JeM’s operations. Reports confirm that four major training centres operate in the district. It is also the location of the group’s headquarters — astonishingly close to sensitive Pakistani state institutions.
- One of Azhar’s houses lies beside Osman-O-Ali Masjid, while his second residence is just four kilometres away, adjacent to Jamia Mosque.
- The Lahore High Court’s Bahawalpur bench sits barely a kilometre from this home, and the District Collector’s office is within three kilometres.
- Bahawalpur is also home to a Pakistan Army garrison and an airbase — evidence of the brazen impunity with which JeM operated under state protection until India’s strikes forced them to retreat.
Who is Masood Azhar?
Masood Azhar, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, has been implicated in some of the country’s worst terror attacks:
- The 2001 Parliament attack in Delhi.
- The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks left over 160 dead.
- The 2016 Pathankot Airbase attack.
- The 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing killed 40 CRPF personnel.
His notoriety extends beyond India. Azhar’s release in 1999 was secured through the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar — an event etched into India’s counter-terror history.
In May 2019, after years of Indian lobbying, the United Nations finally designated Masood Azhar a global terrorist when China lifted its long-standing technical hold on the proposal. Despite repeated Indian demands for his extradition, Pakistan has continued to deny his presence or freedom, despite overwhelming evidence.
Fear That Lingers
Operation Sindoor did more than just demolish terror infrastructure — it shattered the illusion of impunity that groups like JeM and LeT enjoyed in Pakistan.
Today, their leaders are seen shifting bases, hiding behind curtains, and rarely stepping into the open, haunted by the thought that at any moment, another Indian strike could turn them to ashes.
The confession by Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, delivered with militants standing guard around him, is more than rhetoric.
It is a public display of the fear, loss, and desperation now gripping Jaish cadres — proof that Operation Sindoor has struck not only at their camps but at their confidence itself.
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