Where is Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar? Is he hiding in an ISI safehouse?

The Subhan Allah complex in Bahawalpur was one of the high-stakes targets for India in Operation Sindoor, the Indian military’s cross-border strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).

Bahawalpur was significant for India, as the targeted Subhan Allah campus functioned as the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Spread across 18 acres, the campus housed a mosque and served as the ideological and operational hub for terror recruitment, indoctrination, and fundraising.

The real target was Masood Azhar, the Jaish-e-Muhammad chief.

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The terror mastermind survived the precision strike and later released a statement saying at least 10 of his family members and four close associates were killed in Operation Sindoor.

Among those killed in the air strike on the Markaz Subhan Allah complex were Masood Azhar’s elder sister, her husband, his nephew, and his niece. The 18-acre facility that functioned as a JeM hub was reduced to rubble, but Masood Azhar survived and is believed to be hiding somewhere with the help of the Pakistani establishment.

Azhar had been missing from public view for several months and had only resurfaced in Bahawalpur at the fag end of 2024.

The Indian intelligence had a close eye on his movements, and as per the latest satellite imagery and human intelligence, he had resumed command over the terrorist activities from within the walled complex in Bahawalpur.

Masood Azhar is the most wanted by India for his role in several terror attacks, including the IC814 hijack in 1999, and the Parliament attack in 2001. He was listed as a designated terrorist by the UNSC in 2019.

Pakistan said that Azhar, who was under house arrest in the country till then, escaped in 2019 and made his way to Afghanistan. Islamabad's claims were denied by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Pakistan claimed that Azhar and his family were not in the country as it was keen to get out of the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list.

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After Operation Sindoor, the JeM chief released a statement, the contents and timing of which clearly indicate that he is somewhere in Pakistan, most likely safely ensconced in a safehouse provided by the Inter-Services Intelligence.

In his letter, dated May 8, Azhar wrote, “It has been 36 hours since India’s cowardly and murderous attack, and people are still awaiting retribution. Now, retaliatory action is vital.”

Another terrorist, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, who was released along with Masood Azhar after the Kandahar plane hijack, is also believed to be under the protection of the Pakistani deep state.
Zargar is the founder and chief commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen, the outfit that has claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks in the Kashmir Valley.

However, as per reports, Abdul Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of chief Masood Azhar and a designated global terrorist, was among those killed in the airstrikes under Operation Sindoor.

Who was Abdul Rauf Azhar?

Abdul Rauf Azhar, long considered the operational head of Jaish, was a key conspirator of several major terror strikes, including the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which was diverted to Kandahar, forcing the government to release three jailed terrorists, including Masood Azhar, in exchange.

Rauf became Jaish’s de facto leader in 2007 and was designated a terrorist by the US Treasury in 2010 for “recruiting operatives and planning attacks in India and Afghanistan.” India made efforts to blacklist him at the UN in 2022, but China vetoed the move, citing lack of evidence.