&w=3840&q=100)
How Pak terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar's killing brings justice for slain US journalist Daniel Pearl
India's strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK have reportedly killed Jaish-e Mohammad (JeM) terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of Masood Azhar. His death brings justice to the US journalist Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and killed in Pakistan in 2002. Here's how read more
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is photographed in an image sent by his kidnappers. File Photo/Reuters
India has eliminated one of its most wanted terrorists with Operation Sindoor. The Indian armed forces' missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early Wednesday have reportedly killed Jaish-e Mohammad (JeM) terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar.
India's precision strikes on terror camps included JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) Markaz Taiba in Muridke. Operation Sindoor has neutralised several high-profile terrorist operatives responsible for spreading terror globally. Azhar is believed to be among those killed.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Let's take a closer look.
Who was Abdul Rauf Azhar?
Abdul Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of JeM founder Masood Azhar, was behind several terror attacks in India.
Born in 1974 in Pakistan, he plotted the hijacking of the Indian Airlines aircraft IC 814. On December 24, 1999, five masked terrorists hijacked the Delhi-bound plane. The aircraft was eventually flown to Kandahar in Afghanistan, which was ruled by the Taliban.
The hijacking resulted in the release of three dreaded terrorists jailed in India — Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Mushtaq Zargar and Masood Azhar — in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines Flight.
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was involved in the killing of the United States journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan. Masood Azhar went on to establish the Jaish-e-Mohammad group after his release.
As per a News18 report, Abdul Rauf Azhar was the operational head of JeM and the de facto chief when his brother Masood Azhar was not present. While staying in the shadows, the younger Azhar directed JeM's several heinous terror attacks against India.
Rauf Azhar's operatives were behind the 2001 Parliament attack that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of conflict.
In 2005, five terrorists attacked the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya and were shot dead by security personnel. As per News18, the terror attack fitted JeM's ideology and Azhar's playbook.
The JeM leader is also believed to have planned and supervised the infiltration of terrorists for the Pathankot attack. Jaish members had attacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Punjab's Pathankot, killing six security personnel, in 2016.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Azhar, also known as Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, was declared a terrorist by the US in 2010 for 'recruiting operatives and planning attacks in India and Afghanistan."
However, India's move to have him blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council in 2022 was blocked by China.
Killing of Daniel Pearl
On January 23, 2002, Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter, was on his way for an interview in Pakistan's Karachi with a religious leader as part of his research into Islamist militants.
He was abducted near a hotel by terrorists who claimed to be from a group called the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty.
Four days later, the group sent an email with pictures of the 38-year-old journalist in chains. One of the pictures showed Pearl, who was Jewish, holding a newspaper and another with a gun to his head, as per a WSJ report.
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was murdered in February 2002. File Photo/Reuters
The group demanded the release of all Pakistani terrorists held by the US. Despite public pleas from Pearl's family and others, they did not free the journalist.
On February 1, 2002, Pearl was murdered by the terrorists. Weeks later, a videotape showing Pearl's beheading was released, sending shockwaves across the world.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The case drew global attention. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-Pakistani terrorist, was found to be the mastermind of the kidnapping and killing of Pearl. He was convicted in 2002.
According to lawyers of Pearl's family, Sheikh helped in organising the kidnapping and detention of the journalist, before directing his captors to kill him, reported Al Jazeera.
In 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed of the al-Qaeda terror group claimed responsibility for Pearl's murder.
Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the release of Sheikh in 2021.
Operation Sindoor brings justice to Daniel Pearl
With the killing of Abdul Rauf Azhar, the Indian armed forces have avenged several terror attacks carried out on Indian soil involving the JeM leader. Azhar, whose hijacking of the IC 814 flight led to the release of the mastermind of Pearl's killing, has been brought to justice.
'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, an American-Jewish journalist with the Wall Street Journal. Pearl's brutal execution in 2002 shocked the conscience of the world and remains a defining example of the global threat posed by state-protected terror networks,' government sources said.
'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 — a case that symbolised the dangers faced by journalists, the Jewish community, and the broader democratic world,' they added.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
17 minutes ago
- The Print
Jaishankar meets members of European Parliament in Belgium
In a post on X, he said it was 'good to meet' David McAllister, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Sandro Gozi, Chair of the Delegation to EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, and Greek parliamentarian Nikos Papandreou. Jaishankar, who is travelling to Europe, met the officials on Monday along with the Indian Ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, Saurabh Kumar. Brussels, Jun 10 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met members of the European Parliament during his visit to Belgium and Luxembourg. The meetings followed an interaction with members of the Indian community on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with his Belgium counterpart Maxime Prevot on deepening bilateral cooperation, including in trade, investment, technology, defence and security, clean energy and mobility. During his week-long tour of Europe, Jaishankar will also hold talks with leaders of the European Union and France to boost bilateral ties and reaffirm India's policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism. PTI GRS GRS GRS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


The Print
17 minutes ago
- The Print
Jaishankar meets European Commission chief von der Leyen in Belgium
'Pleased to call on @EU_Commission President @vonderleyen this morning. Welcomed her strong condemnation of terrorist attack in Pahalgam and solidarity in combatting terrorism,' he said in an X post. Jaishankar called on the top EU leader during his visit to Belgium and Luxembourg. Brussels, Jun 10 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen here and praised her 'strong condemnation' of the Pahalgam attack and solidarity in combating terrorism. The April 22 Pahalgam terror attack claimed 26 lives, following which tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. During the meeting, Jaishankar and von der Leyen also discussed efforts that are underway to deepen the India-EU partnership. 'Agreed on the potential benefits of stronger cooperation in trade, technology, connectivity and security for both our regions,' Jaishankar added. Von der Leyen also took to X after the meeting and said, 'The EU-India strategic partnership is getting stronger.' 'We're working on a Strategic Agenda based on growth with an ambitious FTA, tech & innovation and security & defence. I look forward to adopting it with @narendramodi at our next Summit,' she said. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation bloc resumed negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, an investment protection agreement and a pact on Geographical Indications after a gap of over eight years. The negotiations stalled in 2013 due to differences over the level of opening up of the markets. On February 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission chief agreed to seal the much-awaited free trade deal by the end of this year. Jaishankar met members of the European Parliament on Monday along with the Indian Ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, Saurabh Kumar. In a post on X, he said it was 'good to meet' David McAllister, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Sandro Gozi, Chair of the Delegation to EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, and Greek parliamentarian Nikos Papandreou. The meetings followed an interaction with members of the Indian community on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with his Belgium counterpart Maxime Prevot on deepening bilateral cooperation, including in trade, investment, technology, defence and security, clean energy and mobility. During his week-long tour of Europe, Jaishankar will also hold talks with leaders of the European Union and France to boost bilateral ties and reaffirm India's policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism. PTI GRS GRS GRS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


Scroll.in
23 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
India will strike ‘deep into Pakistan' if provoked by terror attacks, says S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that India would strike ' deep into Pakistan ' if provoked by terror attacks, United States-based news outlet Politico reported. In an interview with the outlet, Jaishankar warned that there would be retribution if 'you continue to do the kind of barbaric acts which they did in April', referring to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. However, the minister clarified that this 'retribution will be against the terrorist organisations and the terrorist leadership'. 'And we don't care where they are,' Jaishankar further said. 'If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.' The foreign minister alleged that Pakistan was training 'thousands' of terrorists 'in the open' and 'unleashing' them on New Delhi. The external affairs minister's comments came almost a month after New Delhi and Islamabad reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed in the shelling. When asked by Politico if the conditions that led to the military hostilities in April remained, Jaishankar said: 'If you call the commitment to terrorism a source of tension, absolutely, it is.' Besides, answering a question about losses incurred by the Indian military, Jaishankar said appropriate authorities would respond about the matter. 'As far I'm concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were – to me the proof of the pudding are the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side,' he said.