Operation Sindoor: India kills 100 terrorists including Abdul Rauf Azhar; justice after 23 yrs for Daniel Pearl's family
India's Operation Sindoor was a significant counter-terror action, neutralising nearly 100 terrorists, including Abdul Rauf Azhar — a high-ranking Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader and one of the masterminds behind the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. This hijacking directly led to the release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, who later kidnapped and murdered Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002.
The operation was not only a counter-terror strike but also a delayed act of justice — especially for the family of Pearl, whose killing had become a symbol of the dangers of global terrorism.
Precision strikes in Pakistan
The Indian government carried out targeted air strikes under Operation Sindoor in two key locations inside Pakistan — Bahawalpur and Muridke. These areas are widely known to house the terror bases of JeM and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
Among those reportedly killed was Abdul Rauf Azhar, the operational head of JeM. His killing was a key victory in dismantling one of the most enduring and dangerous jihadist networks in the region. Azhar's activities had extended far beyond India, involving coordination with international terror groups.
Government sources noted that the operation was focused and specific aimed only at individuals and groups that have long threatened regional and global peace.
Link to the Daniel Pearl case
Abdul Rauf Azhar's role in the IC-814 hijacking was critical. The hijacking forced the Indian government to release three terrorists, including Omar Saeed Sheikh. Within two years, Sheikh was in Pakistan and orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl.
Pearl, an American-Jewish journalist working for The Wall Street Journal, was abducted in Karachi while investigating terror links. He was brutally executed in a killing that shocked the world and became symbolic of the risks journalists and global citizens face when confronting terror.
With Azhar's death, it can be said that justice has also been served in the case of Pearl, 23 years after his murder.
A message beyond borders
Top Indian officials stressed that Operation Sindoor sends a message beyond India's borders. It is part of a broader international effort to fight terrorism, especially state-supported networks that continue to threaten democracies and press freedoms.
The operation reinforces India's stand that counter-terror actions are not directed at any country or community, but strictly at the perpetrators of violence. The focus remains on dismantling networks that have long escaped justice, even when their crimes have global impact.
The United States has backed India's right to self-defence in this operation. Officials also pointed to the importance of democratic nations and communities, including the American Jewish diaspora, in recognising and addressing the continued threat posed by such terror havens.
A mighty parallel
Daniel Pearl's story was later depicted in the 2007 film A Mighty Heart, which focused on the events leading to his kidnapping and the efforts of his wife, Mariane Pearl, to track him down. The film portrayed the challenges journalists and their families face when reporting from high-risk conflict zones.
More than two decades after Pearl's murder, Operation Sindoor not only targeted those who facilitated his killing but also sent a strong signal about the long memory of justice.
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