Fourteen individuals connected to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, including 10 members of his family and four aides, were killed during Indian air strikes in Pakistan&rsquo;s Bahawalpur, according to a media report.&nbsp;
The strikes formed part of a coordinated offensive carried out by India at 1.05 am on Tuesday, targeting nine terror camps associated with JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The offensive, termed &lsquo;Operation Sindoor&rsquo;, was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, where Pakistan-supported terrorists killed 26 civilians, the majority of whom were tourists. Among the key targets was the Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur, identified as one of the operation&rsquo;s two most critical strike zones.
In a statement cited by a media outlet, Masood Azhar confirmed the deaths of his elder sister and her husband, his nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his family. The statement also reported the deaths of a close aide of Azhar and his mother, in addition to two more of his close associates.
Bahawalpur, the 12th largest city in Pakistan, is situated approximately 400 kilometres from Lahore. The Subhan Allah camp, which spans 18 acres and also goes by the name Usman-o-Ali campus, has been reduced to ruins.
Visuals reveal severe structural damage, with the Jamia Masjid on the premises left in rubble. Debris and large craters are all that remain of the mosque, which was located within the camp.
The Usman-o-Ali campus served as a central site for JeM&rsquo;s recruitment, fundraising, and ideological indoctrination. Masood Azhar, born in Bahawalpur, resides in the city under heavy security in a fortified complex.
Azhar, who founded JeM in 2000, has been linked to several high-profile terrorist attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 assault on the Pathankot airbase, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing.
He gained notoriety after being released by Indian authorities in 1999 in exchange for passengers and crew members of Indian Airlines Flight 814. The hijacked aircraft, originally en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was diverted to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and eventually to Kandahar, then under Taliban control.&nbsp;
During the hostage crisis, which became the longest in India&rsquo;s aviation history, one male passenger was killed. He had been travelling to Nepal with his wife for their honeymoon.
Another major target of Tuesday&rsquo;s air strikes was the Masjid wa Markaz Taiba in Muridke, identified as a significant JeM base. Reports suggest that approximately 30 terrorists were killed in Muridke, with a similar toll in Bahawalpur. Across all locations, an estimated 70 to 80 militants were neutralised, though official figures are still being verified. The precision strikes lasted 25 minutes, concluding at 1.30 am.
Meanwhile, cross-border hostilities have resulted in civilian casualties. Sources report that 10 civilians have been killed and 33 injured due to shelling along the Line of Control and the International Border.&nbsp;
In response, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the evacuation and relocation of residents from affected areas, emphasising that ensuring civilian safety remains the government&rsquo;s highest priority.
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Airstrikes in Pakistan kill 14 close to JeM chief Masood Azhar; camps in Bahawalpur reduced to rubble

Op Sindoor Targets JeM, Kills 14 Linked to Azhar

Airstrikes in Pakistan kill 14 close to JeM chief Masood Azhar; camps in Bahawalpur reduced to rubble

May 7, 2025 | 17:16 IST