JeM
Mystery death in Pakistan: JeM chief Masood Azhar’s brother found dead
Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar’s brother, Mohammad Tahir Anwar, has died in Pakistan under mysterious circumstances, according to media reports.
Tahir Anwar was reportedly associated with the outfit.
His death was confirmed through the group’s official channel, which said his funeral would be held late Monday night at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali in Bahawalpur, reported India Today.
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There has been no official word on the cause of his death, with no mention of illness or any specific incident so far, sources told the channel.
What is Jaish-e-Mohammed?
According to the United Nations, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is an extremist group based in Pakistan. It was founded by Masood Azhar after his release from prison in India in 1999, in exchange for 155 hostages held aboard an Indian Airlines flight hijacked to Kandahar.
Earlier efforts to secure Azhar’s release included the 1994 kidnappings of American and British nationals in New Delhi and the 1995 abduction of tourists in Kashmir.
Azhar is believed to have formed JeM with support from Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and other extremist groups.
On October 1, 2001, JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar, which killed at least 31 people, though it later denied the claim.
JeM, along with Lashkar-e-Taiba, was also implicated in the December 13, 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, which left nine people dead and 18 injured.
Indian strikes in 2025
Following the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The strikes reportedly destroyed nine camps linked to outfits including JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur, considered a major hub of the group’s activities, was also hit during the operation.
According to India Today, a senior commander later acknowledged that members of Azhar’s family were killed in the strike conducted under Operation Sindoor.
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