Latest news with #Deobandi
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mazood Azhar's mission is to 'destroy' India. With Operation Sindoor, he got a taste of his own medicine
Mazood Azhar's mission is to 'destroy' India. With Operation Sindoor, he got a taste of his own medicine Team TOI Plus Updated: May 8, 2025, 15:16 IST IST The strike on the Markaz Subhan Allah seminary in Bahawalpur, operational since 2015 and the main centre of the Jaish-e-Muhammed for training and indoctrination, resulted in the deaths of dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar's kin Maulana Masood Azhar , the notorious chief of terror group Jaish-e-Muhammed ( JeM ), on Wednesday (May 7 ) acknowledged the death of 10 of his family members and four aides in the Indian strike on Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, a Deobandi seminary in Pakistan, in the early hours the same day.
News18
08-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Who Is Abdul Rauf Azhar? Jaish Strongman, Mastermind Behind IC814 Hijacking Killed
Last Updated: Masood Azhar's brother and JeM's operational chief, Rauf was behind some of India's worst terror attacks. His death is being seen as a major strategic win for India In the early hours of May 7, 2025, under the banner of Operation Sindoor, India launched a series of precise cross-border strikes targeting key terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. One of the most consequential targets lay deep inside Bahawalpur: the Markaz Subhan Allah complex, Jaish-e-Mohammed's ideological and operational nerve centre. Among those killed in the 23-minute coordinated assault was Abdul Rauf Azhar, the elusive and dangerous commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the younger brother of its founder, Masood Azhar. His death marks the end of a long chapter in South Asia's battle against cross-border terrorism—one that spanned over two decades and left a bloody trail across India. FROM THE SHADOWS OF BAHAWALPUR Abdul Rauf Azhar, also known as Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, was born in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province. While overshadowed publicly by his brother Masood Azhar, Rauf was no mere foot soldier. He was the operational brain behind JeM, often acting as its de facto chief during Masood Azhar's absences. Unlike his more visible brother, Rauf avoided the limelight — rarely photographed, never heard in public, and known primarily through intelligence briefings. But within jihadi circles, he wielded considerable operational control — quietly directing JeM's most high-profile attacks across Indian soil. Even after Pakistan formally banned JeM in 2002 under international pressure, Rauf remained active. He is believed to have overseen the group's operations through front organisations, sustained fundraising efforts, and coordinated recruitment drives — all while continuing to enjoy freedom of movement within Pakistan. He belonged to the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam, which heavily influenced JeM's ideological underpinnings and outreach efforts across South Asia. Rauf Azhar's fingerprints were found on some of the most brazen terror attacks in India in recent history. His operational tactics typically focused on symbolic targets, strategic timing, and acts calculated to provoke maximum disruption. 1999 | IC-814 Hijacking: Rauf was central to planning the hijack of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar. The hostage crisis led to the release of Masood Azhar, who would go on to form JeM shortly after. The hijacking significantly raised Rauf's profile within Pakistan's jihadi networks and deepened his operational role within JeM. 2001 | Indian Parliament Attack: Considered a near-declaration of war, this assault on India's democratic heart was allegedly planned with Lashkar-e-Taiba in coordination with Rauf Azhar's operatives. It brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a full-scale military conflict. 2005 | Ayodhya Temple Attack: An attempt to ignite communal violence, the strike on the makeshift Ram temple site bore the hallmarks of JeM's ideology and Rauf's operational playbook—blend religious provocation with lethal audacity. 2016 | Pathankot Airbase Attack: Rauf is believed to have supervised the infiltration and planning behind the Pathankot assault, which involved six heavily armed Pakistani terrorists breaching a critical military facility. INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS AND DIPLOMATIC ROADBLOCKS In 2010, the United States Treasury Department designated Abdul Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist, citing his involvement in 'recruiting operatives and planning attacks in India and Afghanistan." Yet, when India pushed to have him blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council's 1267 Sanctions Committee in 2022, the move was blocked by China, citing the need for 'further evidence." It wasn't the first time Beijing used its veto to shield figures linked to Pakistan-based terror outfits, highlighting the geopolitical web that often complicates counterterrorism efforts. Despite international pressure, successive Pakistani governments did little to rein him in. Intelligence assessments across multiple countries concluded that Rauf continued to receive institutional protection from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which viewed JeM as a strategic asset in its asymmetric campaign against India. Abdul Rauf Azhar was killed in the Indian Air Force's precision strike on Bahawalpur as part of Operation Sindoor—a cross-border operation launched in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Targeted specifically was the Markaz Subhan Allah complex, Jaish-e-Mohammed's ideological hub and training ground. Alongside Rauf, ten members of Masood Azhar's extended family and four close aides were also eliminated. Indian sources confirmed the compound housed infrastructure linked not only to indoctrination but also to advanced tactical training and logistics. The operation was described by Indian officials as a 'clinical and non-civilian engagement", with no damage to surrounding areas—contrasting sharply with Pakistani propaganda claiming civilian deaths, which has since been debunked by independent imagery and fact-checks. LEGACY AND FALLOUT Rauf Azhar's death deals a severe blow to JeM's leadership and morale. It also signals a major shift in India's counter-terror doctrine — from reactive diplomacy to pre-emptive, precision military action. Far from inviting global criticism, Operation Sindoor has drawn broad international support, with key powers backing India's right to defend itself against cross-border terrorism. For years, Abdul Rauf Azhar functioned as a ghost—always one step ahead of intelligence agencies, shuttling between safehouses in Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi, with institutional protection from Pakistan's military-intelligence apparatus. Operation Sindoor changed that. THE ROAD AHEAD With Rauf Azhar dead and Masood Azhar in frail health and hiding, Jaish-e-Mohammed's core leadership has been decapitated. However, as history has shown, terror groups often regenerate, especially in Pakistan's permissive ecosystem. The challenge now lies in ensuring strategic follow-through—diplomatically, militarily, and through international partnerships—to prevent the rise of the next Rauf Azhar. For now, one of India's most wanted has been eliminated, not in secrecy, but through a deliberate, high-precision strike witnessed by the world. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Abdul Rauf Azhar Jaish-e-Mohammed Masood Azhar Operation Sindoor Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 08, 2025, 14:44 IST News india Who Is Abdul Rauf Azhar? Jaish Strongman, Mastermind Behind IC814 Hijacking Killed
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
10 of Parliament, Pulwama strike mastermind's family killed
NEW DELHI: Maulana Masood Azhar 's words dripped with grief as the notorious chief of terror group Jaish-e-Muhammed acknowledged the death of 10 of his family members in the Indian attack on Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, a Deobandi seminary known as the breeding ground of terrorists that Pakistan's ISI deploys as part of its proxy war against India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I wish I had also joined the lucky caravan," Azhar said in the florid Urdu that terrorists use to glorify themselves as martyrs. In a statement JeM said Azhar's elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife and a niece were among those killed. "They have attained a higher calling and have now becomes the guests of Allah. I feel no disappointment. In fact, my heart keeps wishing I had joined this joyful group of 14 pilgrims. Their departure was destined, yet it was not God who killed them," the notorious terrorist-in-chief said even as he invited the public to attend the funeral prayers scheduled for 4pm on Wednesday. The statement was in keeping with the ruthless resolve of the terrorist who arrived in India in the 1990s as a member of Harkatul Mujahideen to wage jihad in Jammu & Kashmir. He was arrested but had to be released as part of the swap of passengers of Indian Airlines plane IC-814, which was hijacked by his younger brother Abdul Rauf Azhar and others. The imprisonment did not dampen his zeal for jihad. He broke away from HuM to launch Jaish-e-Muhammed (Army of the Prophet) and soon earned the backing of ISI which was impressed by his fanatic fervour. Azhar, the 56-year-old terror mastermind sanctioned by the UN Security Council as a global terrorist, has been linked to several high-profile attacks in India, including the 2001 attack on Parliament , the 2016 assaults on the Pathankot airbase and on the Indian embassy in Kabul and the suicide bombing of a CRPF convoy in 2019, which was the trigger for IAF raids on another Jaish seminary in Balakot. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now For years, Pakistan pretended to be unaware of Azhar's whereabouts despite robust evidence of the terrorist's presence on its territory. Getting him on the global terrorist list was a challenge. India tried to get Azhar designated as a global terrorist under the UN Sanctions Committee for years, only to to run into roadblocks raised by Pakistan's all-weather ally China who was promised that being on the right side of terrorists would help ensure the safety of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Azhar's core group, including brother Abdul Rauf and other senior functionaries like Azhar's brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar have been operating out of Markaz Subhan Allah. The facility was under the superintendence of Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, head of Jaish's operations in PoK. Abdullah Jehadi alias Abdullah Kashmiri and Aashiq Nengroo (Indian fugitive) also operated from the centre.
News18
06-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Islamabad Cleric's Call To Fight India Met With Silence, Blasts Pakistan Army In Viral Video
During his speech, Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, cleric of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, asked the crowd to raise their hands if they would fight. Not a single hand went up, and a dead silence followed. The video of Ghazi's speech is doing the rounds on social media. Addressing students and followers at Lal Masjid, Ghazi said, 'I have a question for you. Tell me, if Pakistan fights against India, how many of you would support Pakistan and fight for it?" When no one raised their hands, he said, 'This means there is enough understanding." MUTINY IN PAKISTAN ‼️In Pakistan Deobandi cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi asked the crowd to raise their hands in support of Pakistan during India-Pakistan war , not a single hand went up. He went on to say that Pakistan is more oppressive than India—pointing out that India… — Maj Digvijay Singh Rawat, Kirti Chakra (@Dig_raw21) May 5, 2025 The cleric highlighted atrocities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing the Pakistani state of bombing its citizens. He also the issue of forced disappearance of people in Balochistan. 'What happened in Balochistan, what they did in Pakistan and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – these are atrocities. When the people were ready, the state bombed its own citizens."
India.com
05-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Civil Mutiny In Pakistan? Citizens Refuse To Back Pak Army Against India
Trouble For Asim Munir? In a startling display of public dissent following the tensions between India and Pakistan, a video has emerged from Islamabad showing worshippers refusing to back the Pakistan Army when asked about their stand in the event of a war with India. The incident, led by prominent Deobandi cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, has sparked intense debate about growing civil unrest and disillusionment with the country's military establishment. During a recent sermon, Maulana Abdul Aziz asked the congregation at Islamabad's Lal Masjid to raise their hands in support of Pakistan should a war with India erupt. Not a single hand was raised. In a scathing rebuke of Pakistan's military and ruling elite, the cleric declared, 'Pakistan is more oppressive than India. At least India never bombed Lal Masjid or Waziristan.' His comments referenced Pakistan's own military operations—most notably the 2007 siege of Lal Masjid and repeated airstrikes in Waziristan—as examples of internal repression. He further highlighted the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances, pointing to the cases of Baloch, Pashtun, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, religious clerics, and journalists who have vanished under the current regime. Islamabad, Pakistan Abdul Aziz Ghazi, Imam of famous Lal Masjid, Islambad urges people to not support Pakistan in India-Pakistan war. He further said that we (muslims) are more oppressed in Pakistan than in India. Pakistani forces bomb our own muslims in Pakistan, India… — Source Snipe (@SourceSnipe) May 5, 2025 This sentiment appears to be gaining traction, especially in tribal regions. In a separate incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, another Islamic preacher delivered a fiery sermon condemning the Pakistan Army's historical mistreatment of the Pashtun people. 'If India attacks Pakistan, the Pashtuns will side with the Indian Army,' he said. 'They have committed so many atrocities against us Pashtun, and you think we will say 'Zindabad' for Pakistan? Never.' Islamic Preacher in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan: 'If India attacks Pakistan, we Pashtun will immediately stand with the Indian Army against Pakistan Army. They have committed so many atrocities against us Pashtun, and you think we will say Zindabad for Pakistan? Never'. — Faizan Salafi (@FaizanA49366164) May 5, 2025 These statements, though controversial, reflect a broader undercurrent of civil discontent. Ethnic and political groups, including Baloch and Pashtuns as well as supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI, have increasingly challenged the authority of the Pakistan Army. Many accuse it of decades-long oppression and acting as a proxy for Western geopolitical interests. Pakistan is fearing an attack from the Indian Army in response to the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22 in which 26 people were killed. While India has shown proof of Pakistan's hand behind the attack, Islamabad has called for a third-party investigation into them.
