Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s brother, Abdul Rauf Azhar, was critically injured in Indian airstrikes carried out under Operation Sindoor in Pakistan's Bahawalpur, according to reports.
Abdul Rauf Azhar, who is also the terror group's second-in-command and played a role in the Kandahar IC-814 hijacking and various other terrorist activities in India, is currently undergoing treatment at a Pakistani military hospital, the sources added.
The reports about Rauf Azhar come after the JeM chief confirmed in a statement that 14 members of his family and four close aides were killed in the Indian strikes.
Among those killed in the Indian strikes were Azhar’s elder sister, her husband, his nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children, along with Azhar’s mother and three key aides, as per reports.
Meanwhile, amid reports suggesting drone strikes in Pakistani cities, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly told political leaders during the all-party meeting in Delhi that Operation Sindoor is still ongoing.
Separately, the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday with secretaries of various ministries and departments to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments concerning national security.
Prime Minister Modi stressed the need for seamless coordination among ministries and agencies to uphold operational continuity and institutional resilience. He also reviewed the planning and preparations by ministries to deal with the current situation, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
