"I Wish I Had Died Too"... Masood Azhar Reacts to Deaths of Family Members

Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed, has acknowledged that ten of his family members and four close associates were killed in retaliatory strikes by Indian security forces under 'Operation Sindoor', launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. This was reported by news agency PTI.

According to information cited by PTI, the attacks targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters and the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Masood Azhar stated in a declaration that among the deceased were his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children belonging to their extended family.

Masood Azhar, who was arrested in India in 1994 and later released after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, said, “Tonight, ten members of my family experienced this joy (referring to death). Among them were five innocent children, my elder sister, her honorable husband, my nephew Fazil, his wife, my beloved niece (Fazila), my dear brother Huzaifa, his mother, and two more dear companions,” according to the PTI report. He commented that those who died had become guests in the divine court of Allah.

Expressing no grief or regret, Masood Azhar reportedly stated, “I feel no sorrow or disappointment. In fact, my heart keeps wishing I had joined this joyful group of fourteen pilgrims.” He further remarked, “Their departure was destined, yet it was not God who killed them.” The declaration also reportedly invited the public to attend the funeral prayers scheduled for today.

Masood Azhar, 56, who has been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council, is known to have played a central role in several major terrorist attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Although his presence in Pakistan is widely acknowledged, Islamabad continues to officially deny any knowledge of his whereabouts.