Top Jaish commander Abdul Aziz Esar found dead in Pakistan under mysterious circumstances
Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), was found dead under suspicious conditions in Bahawalpur, sparking a whirlwind of speculation in intelligence networks on both sides of the border.
Esar was one of the masterminds of several attacks in India and was a strong advocate for the Ghazwa-e-Hind ideology and had repeatedly threatened India in the past few months.
Sudden Death Raises Questions
JeM-affiliated social media accounts, such as reports on Telegram, said that Esar had a heart attack. But there has been no official word from the Pakistani government, and the lack of any confirmation from a doctor or a police officer has cast doubt on the actual reason for his death.
A clip posted by open-source intelligence platform OsintTV depicted his procession being taken out at JeM’s Bahawalpur markaz, the outfit’s headquarters and an established hotbed of militant planning.
Key Figure in Terror Network
Esar, an Ashrafwala resident in Pakistan’s Punjab state, was a veteran JeM strategist and is thought to have been instrumental in planning several terror attacks in India, including the 2016 Nagrota attack.
Indian intelligence had also identified him as a chief ideological force behind JeM’s recruitment and radicalization drives. He was famed for his provocative speeches calling for jihad against India, especially in Kashmir.
Final Provocations Before Death
In a video that was shared weeks before his death, Esar was recorded giving a scathing speech at a public rally, warning India of fresh terrorist infiltration. “Mujahideen are coming… if you can handle it, then handle it, Government of Hindustan,” he cautioned, instructing fans to fan the fire of Ghazwa-e-Hind.
He also asserted that India would meet the same fate as the Soviet Union if it kept resisting.
The most Notorious Jaish-E-Mohammad senior leader (Terrorist) Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar is dead (02-06-2025)
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) June 3, 2025
He was from Ashrafwala, Kallur Kot, Bhakkar District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan
According to JeM sources he died of a heart attack (No confirmation on his death… pic.twitter.com/3Mwgrc9X1a
JeM Headquarters Hit in Indian Strikes
The Bahawalpur markaz, where Esar was laid to rest, was one of the key targets of India’s Operation Sindoor, an accurate military attack on JeM facilities. The fact that his funeral took place there highlights his top position in the terror group’s chain of command.
Lack of Official Confirmation Fuels Speculation
With no statement so far from Pakistan’s police or intelligence apparatus, experts attribute the likelihood of a clandestine operation or domestic fallout among militant ranks.
His abrupt and quiet withdrawal from the stage creates new questions regarding current counter-terrorism efforts and internal instability in Pakistan-based terror networks.
Esar’s death, shrouded as it is in uncertainty, is the collapse of yet another celebrity within the cross-border terror network that persists to pose a threat to regional stability.