In a rare acknowledgment, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander has admitted that Indian forces &ldquo;tore into pieces&rdquo; the family of terror mastermind Masood Azhar during strikes in Bahawalpur under Operation Sindoor.
In a viral video, JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri is seen flanked by armed men, recalling the May 7 assault.&nbsp;
Speaking in Urdu, he said, &ldquo;After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar&rsquo;s family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur.&rdquo;
The strikes were part of India&rsquo;s multi-force retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.&nbsp;
During the operation, nine terror facilities linked to JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen in Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muridke were targeted in overnight raids. 
India maintained that there were no civilian casualties, though Pakistan claimed 26 deaths and 46 injuries.
Bahawalpur, long known as JeM&rsquo;s base, was a key target since it houses the group&rsquo;s headquarters at Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah. 
Pakistani outlets later quoted Azhar himself admitting that 10 of his relatives were killed, including his elder sister, brother-in-law Mohammad Yusuf Azhar&mdash;a key conspirator in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking&mdash;and several children.
While Islamabad continues to reject allegations of cross-border terrorism, New Delhi has defended Operation Sindoor as a legitimate act of self-defence and a strong warning that any terror strike on Indian soil will draw decisive retaliation.

JeM commander admits Azhar family killed in strikes

JeM leader concedes Azhar’s kin killed in Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor

JeM Admits Azhar’s Family Killed In Strikes

JeM leader concedes Azhar’s kin killed in Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor

September 16, 2025 | 21:50 IST