New Delhi, 31 March (H.S.):

Mohammad Tahir Anwar, elder brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and a key operative in the banned terrorist organization, died in Pakistan on Sunday under circumstances described as highly mysterious.

An official channel linked to JeM announced the death, stating that Anwar's funeral took place on Monday at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali in Bahawalpur, Punjab province. No specific cause was disclosed, fueling speculation amid ongoing regional tensions and recent U.S. military actions against Iran-linked networks.

Anwar, one of Azhar's five brothers, was deeply involved in JeM's operational framework, which the UN Security Council has designated as a global terrorist entity. Azhar himself, released from Indian custody after the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, has been implicated in major attacks including the 2001 Parliament assault, 2008 Mumbai siege, 2016 Pathankot incident, and 2019 Pulwama bombing.

JeM's Familial Ties to Militancy

The Azhar family maintains a prominent role within JeM, with multiple relatives holding operational positions. Last year, Azhar publicly mourned the deaths of 10 family members—including his elder sister, nephew, niece, and several children—in alleged Indian airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting JeM's Bahawalpur headquarters following the Pahalgam attack.

In a statement at the time, Azhar framed the losses as martyrdom, expressing no regret and hinting at his own desire to join them, while underscoring the group's ideological resilience.

Broader Regional Context

Anwar's death occurs against a backdrop of heightened volatility, including U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities in Isfahan using bunker-buster munitions, as shared by President Trump via video on social media. These actions, part of Operation Epic Fury, have targeted over 10,000 Iranian sites, eliminating key leaders and neutralizing threats from Tehran's proxies.

Reports also highlight JeM's evolving tactics, such as recruiting women and linking to incidents like the Red Fort attack, per UN assessments. Pakistani authorities have not commented, leaving the cause—potentially natural, targeted, or otherwise—unresolved.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar