NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — In a counterterrorism operation early Wednesday, India eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar, a top commander of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), delivering what officials describe as long-awaited justice for the 2002 murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.
Azhar, the younger brother of JeM founder Masood Azhar, was killed in a series of targeted missile strikes launched by the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, which focused on terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PK). According to News18, India’s strikes hit JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) Markaz Taiba in Muridke, neutralizing multiple high-profile terror operatives, including Azhar.
Abdul Rauf Azhar played a central role in orchestrating numerous deadly attacks on Indian soil and was long wanted by Indian and U.S. authorities. He gained international notoriety for his involvement in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, which was forced to land in Taliban-controlled Kandahar. The hijackers demanded the release of three jailed terrorists: Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Mushtaq Zargar, and Masood Azhar.
That exchange proved disastrous. Omar Sheikh, one of those released, would later mastermind the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002. Pearl, who was researching links between Pakistani intelligence and Islamist militants, was abducted while en route to an interview. Four days later, his captors sent images of him in chains. A video showing his brutal execution surfaced weeks later, sparking global outrage.
Rauf Azhar’s involvement in the IC 814 hijacking thus indirectly paved the way for Pearl’s murder. According to Indian government sources quoted by News18, “Rauf Azhar’s role in orchestrating the IC-814 hijacking directly facilitated the release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a key al-Qaeda operative who went on to kidnap and murder Daniel Pearl.”
For years, Azhar operated largely in the shadows, serving as JeM’s operational head and de facto leader when his brother was absent. He was behind several major terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. He is also believed to have overseen the 2016 Pathankot Air Force base attack and the 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya.
The United States designated Abdul Rauf Azhar a global terrorist in 2010 for recruiting operatives and planning attacks in India and Afghanistan. However, India’s efforts to blacklist him at the United Nations Security Council in 2022 were blocked by China.
Operation Sindoor, named after the traditional red powder symbolizing strength and sacrifice, marks a shift in India’s counterterrorism posture. It targeted what Indian officials called the “very infrastructure of Islamic terror,” hitting locations long believed to be protected by elements within the Pakistani state.
“India has done what the world should have done years ago—taken decisive action against terrorists who thrive under state protection,” said one senior Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
While Pakistan has yet to officially confirm Azhar’s death, sources within Indian intelligence say signals intercepts and human intelligence confirm his elimination. India’s Ministry of Defence has not released a public statement as of Thursday. For many, Azhar’s death is not just a strategic victory but a symbolic moment of closure.
“By eliminating Rauf Azhar, India has not only delivered justice for countless Indian victims of terror, but also taken a step toward closure in the long, painful memory of Daniel Pearl’s killing.”
