By Deepti Verma
Copyright republicworld
New Delhi: Months after India destroyed several terror establishments in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under “Operation Sindoor”, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander has admitted that the family of Masood Azhar, the terror group’s top commander, was “ripped apart” in strikes on Bahawalpur.In a video that has now gone viral, a top Jaish commander, Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, flanked by security personnel, is seen acknowledging the losses suffered by the terror outfit and explaining how the Indian armed forces entered their hideouts and attacked them.Kashmiri said Azhar’s family had been “ripped apart” in the May 7 attack on Jaish headquarters – Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur.”… Sab kuch kurban karne ke baad May 7 ko Bahawalpur ke andar Maulana Masood Azhar ki family ke log… reza reza ho gye, tukde tukde ho gye (After sacrificing everything, on May 7 in Bahawalpur, Maulana Masood Mazhar’s family members were ripped apart),” Kashmiri said in Urdu.Weeks after 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, Indian armed forces, under “Operation Sindoor”, had conducted coordinated overnight strikes on nine terror sites, including Bahawalpur, in Pakistan and PoK.The strikes targeted the deep infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).ALSO READ: 5 Top JeM, Lashkar Terrorists Including Masood Azhar’s Brother-In-Law Killed In May 7 Operation Sindoor StrikesApart from Bahawalpur, eight other terror sites, including locations in Kotli and Muridke — all known hubs of extremist activity — were reduced to rubble as India conducted its most daring airstrike deep inside Pakistan.In the strike on Bahawalpur, the 12th largest city in Pakistan around 400 km from Lahore, 10 of Azhar’s relatives were among those killed. It included his sister, her husband, his nephew, his niece and children from his extended family. Four of Azhar’s aides were also killed in the pre-dawn attack.Satellite images showed heavy damage to one of the domes of the mosque and extensive destruction inside.While Pakistan never acknowledged the fact, eyewitnesses and foreign media reports said state funerals were held in May for Azhar’s family members. Azhar, who has rarely been seen in public, had also reportedly made a brief appearance and left the venue within minutes.
