Jaish Chief Masood Azhar’s Brother Dies In Pakistan, No Clarity Yet On The Cause Of His Death

31st March 2026 at 2:01 PM

1 minute read

Karachi : Mohammad Tahir Anwar, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, has died in Pakistan, with no clarity yet on the cause of his death. 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.

Jaish-e-Mohammed is not a fringe outfit. The outfit has been linked to several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase strike, the Uri attack that killed 19 soldiers, and the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Indian forces have carried out strikes on Jaish targets inside Pakistan, including its headquarters in Bahawalpur, in which several of Azhar’s close relatives were killed.

A senior commander of the outfit admitted that members of Azhar’s family were killed during India’s strike on Bahawalpur under Operation Sindoor. Indian strikes reduced multiple terror sites to rubble. The Bahawalpur facility — Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah — suffered extensive damage. Around 10 of Masood Azhar’s relatives, including his sister, her husband, a nephew, a niece and children from his extended family, were among those killed. Several of his aides were also killed in the attack.

In September last year, the group indirectly acknowledged these losses for the first time. A senior JeM commander admitted that members of Azhar’s family died during India’s strike on Bahawalpur as part of Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead.