- Masood Azhar is linked to the November 10 Delhi blast near the Red Fort
- He founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terror group active since 1999
- Azhar's 10 family members were killed during Op Sindoor strike in Bahawalpur
The blast that ripped through the heart of Delhi on November 10 has renewed focus on Masood Azhar, one of the most prominent terror faces from across the border. Guarded by Pakistan despite being designated as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council, he is among the top perpetrators of terrorist acts in India. From 26/11 Mumbai attacks to the recent Red Fort blast in Delhi, he has maintained an inimical image, rising in the terror ecosystem funded by the ISI spy agency.
Pakistan maintains that it doesn't host Azhar on its soil, though it remains an open secret that the terrorist roams free in the shadow of Islamabad.
Azhar is now linked to the 10/11 blast near the Red Fort. A Hyundai i20 exploded, killing nine people, on November 10, with major revelations pointing to the Jaish-e-Mohammed's role in the heinous crime.
Who Is Masood Azhar
Masood Azhar, 56, is the founder of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, which has carried out several terror attacks in India. He founded the outfit in 1999-2000 after being released by India in exchange for air passengers taken hostage during the IC-814 hijacking. The JeM operates out of Pakistan's Bahawalpur.
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Repeated strikes have killed multiple aides and family members over the years, but Azhar and his group still thrive with Pakistan's deep state backing, suggest intelligence sources. Their activities in India continue to be significant despite regular raids by anti-terror and security agencies.
Azhar's list of cross-border misadventures isn't just long but complicated. He had been involved in the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attacks, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. The latest appears to be the Delhi blast, with Jaish links emerging in the arrest of several suspects.
The JeM's India leadership is reportedly de-centralised, which makes it difficult to pin them down and eliminate. Their field commanders on the ground are mostly of Pakistani origin. These are high-ranking personnel in the Jaish ranks deputed to lead attacks. They are known to be HVTs, or high-value targets, for the security forces.
Azhar's Terror Vow
Last November, Azhar had given a public speech at an Islamic seminary in Pakistan's Punjab province, in which he had reportedly vowed to continue attacks on India. In his speech, he had also declared that JeM would step up attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. In December, India had demanded that Pakistan act against Azhar and JeM, stating that if the terrorist's speech was true, it "exposed Pakistan's duplicity" in acting against terrorists operating from Pakistan's soil.
Op Sindoor Strikes
Azhar and his terror infrastructure suffered a major blow during Operation Sindoor. At least 10 members of his family were killed in a strike on the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, which was among the nine terror camps struck during the May 7 offensive to avenge the Pahalgam massacre.
Among those who died in the strikes were Azhar's elder sister, her husband, a nephew, his wife, a niece, and five children from the extended family. Azhar, however, survived. In a statement later, he said he had no regrets or despair over the deaths, but he wished he had died alongside his family members.
Women's Brigade
The Jaish recently launched its women's brigade, Jamaat ul-Mominaat, to indoctrinate women under the garb of religious education. At its helm is Sadia Azfar, trained by her terrorist brother Masood Azhar to expand the jihadi blueprint. Sadia's terrorist husband, Yusuf Azhar, was killed in the Op Sindoor strike.
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The brigade is now undergoing the recruitment process, focused on the wives of its top commanders. Last month, Afira Bibi, wife of Pulwama attack mastermind Umar Farooq, joined its advisory council. Farooq was killed in 2019; Bibi now oversees the activities of the Jamaat-ul-Mominat alongside Sadia Azhar.
Dr Shaheen Saeed, the doctor at a medical college in India's Faridabad arrested over Jaish links, was tasked with setting up the women's brigade's India unit. This illustrates the reach of the terror brigade that had just been formed across the border. Saeed was arrested hours before the recent blast in Delhi, with an assault rifle and ammunition in her car.
Azhar's Capture-Release
Masood Azhar was once in the custody of Indian agencies, but he was released after the Air India IC814 hijacking. The plane was hijacked by five armed terrorists in December 1999 while flying to Delhi from Kathmandu and diverted to Kandahar in Afghanistan via Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. India had to release Azhar and two other terrorists in exchange for the hostages.
Fake Death Claim
Last year, social media posts—apparently by Pakistani users—declaring Azhar's death in a bomb blast had gone viral, but the claims were later found to be false.
