Operation Sindoor: Why strike on Bahawalpur is a direct blow to Jaish-e-Mohammad & Masood Azhar

New Delhi: India has carried out airstrikes targeting key terrorist strongholds in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, a long-time base for Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, are viewed as a decisive move to dismantle Azhar's operations and to send a firm message against cross-border terrorism.

Masood Azhar, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, has been operating from Bahawalpur for decades, masterminding several high-profile attacks across India. His involvement in planning attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot attack, has made him a prime target for Indian security agencies.

Despite being released by India during the 1999 Kandahar hijack crisis, Azhar has since been shielded by Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies, with extensive layers of security provided by the Pakistani Army and the ISI. Sources say Muridke, 30 km from Lahore, has been the headquarters of the LeT since 1990.

The recent airstrikes on Bahawalpur, one of Azhar's key operational hubs, are seen as a direct attempt to dismantle his network and disrupt his recruitment activities. Reports suggest that the strikes were aimed at obliterating terrorist facilities used to train and radicalise recruits, many of whom were being sent to camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for further indoctrination.

The airstrikes come as part of India’s ongoing efforts to tackle cross-border terrorism following the deadly Pahalgam attack in April, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali national.

Officials have stated that by targeting Bahawalpur, India has sent a clear message to terrorist organisations operating across the border that India will no longer tolerate such threats.