Latest news with #Jaish-eMohammad
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Indian Tanks Operated From LoC During Op Sindoor, Took Out Pak Posts
Jammu: T-72 tanks had rolled up to the Line of Control and took part in the May 7 Operation Sindoor that had destroyed terror bases in 9 locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, an officer of the Indian army has told NDTV in an exclusive interview. The tanks - and the BMP-2 armoured personnel carriers - still deployed along the LoC -- indicate the high prepared status of the army despite the ongoing ceasefire with Pakistan. Speaking to NDTV, a Colonel, whose name is not being revealed due to security concerns, said they were put in position ahead of Operation Sindoor to take on specific targets marked out by the army. In the operation, their key role was to destroy the routes through which terrorists could infiltrate into India - as a pre-emptive measure. "We also hit enemy posts which were facilitating infiltration. We know which posts are used as bases for infiltration by the enemy. An informed call was taken -- and the targets were hit," he told NDTV. Given their deadly accuracy, the tanks, he said, were used sparingly to prevent escalation. The T-72s are fitted with 125 mm guns "and we also have missiles that have a range of 4000 meters," he said. "Only a fraction of the equipment was used for to combat ceasefire violation... 300-mm guns and 4000-metre missiles can have devastating effect on the enemy," he said, pointing to India's measured response. He also indicated that the men and equipment were ready to roll whenever orders came. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 - a retaliation against the horrific terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali tourist had died on April 22. The Indian reprisal had taken out the headquarters of Lashkar e-Taiba - a proxy of which had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack - and Jaish-e Mohammad. More than 100 terrorists were killed, a handful of them wanted for various attacks in India including the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in Afghanistan. While the role of the Air Force,and the infantry division of the army was known and applauded, very little was known about the part played by the armoured division. India had said its action was "focused, measured and non-escalatory". Pakistan attempted to hit back immediately with missiles and drones but was trounced. A ceasefire was worked out on May 10. The Centre is now sending a team of 51 political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers, cutting across party lines, who would travel to key nations to put across India's resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.
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First Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
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
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pak Terror Bases Were Hit Twice During Operation Sindoor, Say Sources. Here's How
New Delhi: Pakistan's terrorist bases were hit twice during the armed forces' post-midnight "Operation Sindoor" today, sources have said. The 25-minute operation that started at 1.05 am, had involved 25 missiles that targeted terror camps at nine places in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and deep inside Pakistan. India had attacked from many fronts to destroy the hubs of Lashkare-Taiba - whose proxy was involved in the attack on innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam - Jaish-e Mohammad and Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-Ud Dawa, sources said. While the Air Force fired missiles from the sky to the ground, the Army also fired ground-to-ground missiles. The strikes targeted terror camps across Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, Chakwal and as far south as Bahawalpur -- areas that were under the scanner of intelligence agencies for long. The agencies had zeroed in on the location of the terror camps through satellite imagery, human sources, and intercepted communications. The armed forces used precision weapons from deep within Indian territory. The arsenal included air-launched SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER precision-guided bombs and loitering munitions. The SCALP (Storm Shadow) missiles have a range of more than 250 km and were used to strike hardened targets, including reinforced bunkers and command posts. The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) bombs were used against multi-storied buildings believed to house training modules and operational leadership. Loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, provided real-time surveillance and struck high-value mobile targets as they emerged. These were fired from Indian Air Force aircraft that could even refuel mid-air. Unlike the earlier strikes - the surgical strikes after the terror attack on Jammu and Kashmir's Uri in 2016 and air strikes after the attack on security forces in Pulwama - the "Operation Sindoor" was the most expansive cross-border strike conducted by India. Sources have indicated that in the coming days, India can take similar action on other terrorist bases in Pakistan. The purpose is to send home the message that Pakistan stop promoting terrorist activities from its soil. If Pakistan retaliates, India will also give a strong response, sources said. India gathered support at the global level before taking this military action. The members of the United Nations Security Council - permanent and others -- were taken into confidence about the operation this evening. For India it was a diplomatic success, with no country apart from Turkey, openly supporting Pakistan. The Gulf countries were seen supporting India. Russia, America, UK and France - the permanent members of the Security Council, have openly supported India while China's response was not seen to be too inclined towards Pakistan, leaving Islamabad isolated.
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
'Best Wishes, Much Love": Rahul Gandhi To Armed Forces After Operation Sindoor
New Delhi: The Congress today said it fully supported the retaliatory action of the armed forces against the terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam massacre. "Full support to our forces," said senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. "Best wishes and much love. We completely support the armed forces," he added. Mr Gandhi confirmed that the Congress will be joining the all-party meet that will be held tomorrow. The armed forces, greenlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, launched a massive strike against the terror camps last night. The 25-minute precision strikes from 1.05 to 1.30 an demolished the headquarters of Jaish-e Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Sayeed's Jamaat ud-Dawa and targetted camps across nine cities. The missile strikes targeted terror camps across Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal -- areas that were under the scanner of intelligence agencies for long. Twenty-five missiles were fired. The army said 70 terrorists were neutralised. Shortly after the April 22 attack in which 26 people were shot dead in Kashmir's Pahalgam, India took a series of non-military measures that included putting a freeze on the Indus water treaty, shutting the Attari border and cancelling visas of Pakistan nationals. The Operation Sindoor is India's third retaliatory move against Pakistan-backed terror camps. Surgical strikes and air strikes were conducted after the terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama in 2016 and 2019. But the latest operation was different from earlier instances in terms of both scale and scope. The joint operation by the Army and Air Force struck deep into Pakistan-occupied territory and represented an evolution in India's strategic posture.
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
On Balakot Strike List, 2 Operation Sindoor Targets. Why They Were Dropped
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. "Operation Sindoor" involved precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, targeting longstanding threats. The Indian military aimed to hold attackers accountable after the Pahalgam massacre, striking key sites while avoiding escalation. New Delhi: Two of the key targets in "Operation Sindoor" -- precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan by the army and air force early today -- were on the army radar five years ago when the Balakot strikes happened, sources said. But the army let it pass since strikes on them would have been considered an act of aggression. Sources said Pakistan's Bahawalpur and Kotli, were considered as options during the air strikes at Balakot - made in retaliation against the massive terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. Bahawalpur is the headquarters of Jaish-e Mohammad. This time, along with Bahawalpur, the Indian armed forces have also decimated terror camps at Muridke, the headquarters of Lashkar-e Taiba and Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat Ud Dawa. A Lashkar offshoot has claimed responsibility for the massacre at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 people, most of them tourists, were shot dead on April 22. While India has carried out strikes at nine sites, Pakistan has confirmed only three -- Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad. In a statement, the army said the operation "underscores India's resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while avoiding unnecessary provocation... no Pakistani military facilities were hit, reflecting India's calibrated and non-escalatory approach". Following the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a free hand to the armed forces regarding retaliation. His office said today that he had monitored the operation throughout. Earlier, a series of diplomatic measures were initiated against Pakistan.
