In a significant breakthrough in India’s counter-terror operations, the Indian Army carried out a major cross-border strike under “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, targeting nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). Among the high-profile targets eliminated was Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, a key Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander and brother-in-law of the outfit’s chief, Masood Azhar.
Yusuf Azhar was not only related to Masood Azhar but also played a critical operational role in JeM. He was known for training terrorists in arms and was involved in several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Most infamously, he was a mastermind behind the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, which was diverted from Kathmandu to Kandahar. The incident forced India to release three top terrorists, including Masood Azhar and British-Pakistani terrorist Omar Sheikh. Yusuf Azhar had long been on Interpol’s Red Corner Notice list.
The strike under Operation Sindoor is a bold message that India has shifted from defensive to offensive tactics in its fight against terrorism. By hitting terror leaders and their family bases deep in Bahawalpur and Muzaffarabad, India has demonstrated that no sanctuary is beyond reach. The action highlights a renewed strategy—focused on dismantling terror infrastructure and holding masterminds accountable—even if it takes decades.
