A Top Jaish Commander Confessed Operation Sindoor Left Azhar’s Inner Circle 'Torn Into Pieces'

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Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) top commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri revalidated India’s claim of killing Masood Azhar’s family members during Operation Sindoor. In a viral video, the JeM commander revealed that Masood Azhar’s family was “torn into pieces” after the airstrike on May 7. Kashmiri’s disclosure almost shattered Pakistan’s denial to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and international watchdog reports, affirming India’s successful airstrike. 


The Confession Video

The video, which has gone viral over social media platforms, shows a Kashmiri describing how Indian forces stormed their hideout: “Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul, and Kandahar for protecting the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn apart by Indian forces in Bahawalpur,” in Urdu.

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Kashmiri is heard recalling the May 7 assault, as armed men stood in the background.


About Operation Sindoor: India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack

Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force carried out joint missions as part of Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.

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In this legitimate act of self-defence, Indian forces attacked nine terrorist facilities in a well-coordinated overnight operation. The targets included the infrastructure of JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen in Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muridke.

According to previous reports, the list of victims includes Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law and a senior JeM figure who played a key role in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. He had long been on India’s wanted list, with a Red Corner Notice issued against him by Interpol. Known as “Ustad Ji,” Azhar oversaw weapons training for JeM fighters and had conspired in several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 10 members of Azhar’s family were killed in the strike, including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew, his wife, a niece, and five children. Four close associates were also reportedly eliminated during this overnight mission.

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Islamabad has denied involvement in cross-border terrorism for quite a long time. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also claimed Pakistan was “unaware” of Masood Azhar’s whereabouts, mentioning that his country would be “happy to” arrest him if India provided evidence he was on Pakistani soil. But, JeM leader Masood Ilyas Kashmiri’s confession reinstated India’s successful counter-terror strategy through Operation Sindoor.