In a significant development in the global fight against terrorism, Indian authorities have confirmed the death of Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and a key figure in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl. Azhar was reportedly killed during India’s Operation Sindoor, a series of precision airstrikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
– कंधार प्लेन हाईजैक
– पठानकोट आतंकी हमला
– भारतीय संसद आतंकी हमला#OperationSindoor में मारा गया मोस्ट वांटेड पाकिस्तानी आतंकी अब्दुल रऊफ अजहर। pic.twitter.com/NKuRwptldH— BJP (@BJP4India) May 8, 2025
Abdul Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of JeM founder Masood Azhar, played a pivotal role in orchestrating the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814. This hijacking led to the release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, who later abducted and murdered Daniel Pearl.
Daniel Pearl, serving as the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was investigating links between Pakistani intelligence and Islamist terrorist groups when he was kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan on January 23, 2002. His captors accused him of espionage, and a month later, a video was released showing his brutal execution.
Pearl’s captors, calling themselves the “National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty,” falsely accused him of being a spy. Weeks later, Pearl was forced to state on video that he was Jewish before being beheaded on camera. His murder, especially the antisemitic nature of his captors’ messaging, shocked the world and highlighted the ideological underpinnings of radical Islamist terrorism.
Pearl had declared in the video, “My father’s Jewish, my mother’s Jewish, I’m Jewish,” and went on to mention his family’s roots in Bnei Brak, Israel, citing his great-grandfather Rabbi Chaim Pearl as one of the town’s founders.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. The operation targeted nine locations associated with terrorist groups, including JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur. The Bahawalpur strike reportedly killed Azhar and several members of his family.
The elimination of Abdul Rauf Azhar is seen as a significant step in bringing justice for Daniel Pearl and combating terrorism in the region. Indian officials have emphasized the precision of the strikes and their focus on dismantling terrorist infrastructure.
Pakistan has condemned the airstrikes, claiming civilian casualties and vowing retaliation. The situation has escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, prompting international calls for restraint and dialogue.
