Latest news with #IC-814
News18
11-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan Terror Groups Lashkar, Jaish May Use Nepal Route To Target India, Warns Nepalese Official
Last Updated: Speakers at the seminar noted that terror attacks in India often have spillover effects on Nepal, undermining regional peace and stability Pakistan-based terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) pose serious risks to India and could use Nepal as a transit route, warned Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Advisor to the President of Nepal. Thapa made the remarks during a high-level seminar organised by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) in Kathmandu on July 9. The event focused on addressing terrorism threats in South Asia and saw participation from key regional experts and policymakers. Speakers at the seminar noted that terror attacks in India often have spillover effects on Nepal, undermining regional peace and stability. They pointed to Pakistan's support for terrorism as a major hurdle to the effectiveness of SAARC and broader regional integration. The seminar urged stronger counter-terrorism cooperation, including stricter action against money laundering, enhanced intelligence sharing, and joint patrolling of borders with India. It also called on regional actors to avoid applying double standards while tackling terrorism. India's recent Operation Sindoor, in which the Indian armed forces struck nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, was cited as a forceful and effective response to cross-border threats. At the same time, participants were reminded that Nepal remains vulnerable due to incidents like the IC-814 hijacking and the LeT-led Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, including one Nepali national. Concluding the discussion, participants stressed the urgent need for a dedicated regional mechanism to combat terrorism in a unified and effective manner. India and Nepal share a 1,751 km-long open border, which operates with minimal security checks. This porous boundary makes it easier for terrorists to infiltrate India, often using forged Nepalese documents to conceal their identities. Over the years, several operatives from Pakistan-based outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been arrested while attempting to enter India through Nepal. A notable example is the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814. The aircraft, which was en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi, was hijacked after the perpetrators boarded with weapons– exposing serious lapses in security at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. Lashkar, Jaish Terror Groups Headquarters and training facilities of the LeT and JeM were targeted during India's precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on May 7 in Pakistan and PoK. These two terror groups have carried out several attacks in India, including the Parliament attack in 2001, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot Air Base Attack and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the LeT, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, where terrorists shot down 26 tourists in the picturesque resort town in Jammu and Kashmir. view comments First Published: July 11, 2025, 13:20 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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First Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘Pakistan requires Mujahid…': Masood Azhar rants afresh, ‘10,000 fidayeens ready for jihad'
Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was reportedly heard boasting about a 30,000-strong cadre and claiming that '10,000 fidayeen are ready for jihad,' according to a report, citing an audio of the terror outfit chief played at a Bahawalpur mosque in Pakistan read more Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was reportedly heard boasting about a 30,000-strong cadre and claiming that '10,000 fidayeen are ready for jihad,' according to a report, citing an audio of the terror outfit chief played at a Bahawalpur mosque in Pakistan. 'The funds given to Mujahid will be used for Jihad… Pakistan requires Mujahid's blessings as much as big religious leaders do. We have fidayeens, no force or missile can arrest them. We have a cadre of 30,000. Jaish has 10,000 fidayeens ready for jihad,' News 18 quoted Masood Azhar as saying in the audio clip. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Masood Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist, has been linked to several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 26/11 Mumbai strikes, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. He was released from Indian custody in 1999 in exchange for hostages following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar. According to News18, citing intelligence sources, the recent audio clip featuring Azhar signals a deliberate move by Pakistan to reactivate a dormant terror asset, particularly after the setback it suffered during 'Operation Sindoor'. The messaging also aligns with Pakistan's reported efforts to intensify its proxy war amid the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, aiming to destabilise internal peace and target the sacred pilgrimage. 'Azhar's reference to funding for Mujahideen is not mere rhetoric; it is a coded call for financing upcoming attacks, potentially involving foreign sympathisers and hawala routes. This aligns with recent intercepts indicating a revival of terror financing chains in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gulf regions,' News 18 quoted the sources as saying, adding that Pakistani agencies are reportedly recycling defunct terror figures like Azhar to reorganise sleeper cells and assert dominance through symbolic threats. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The glorification of fidayeen in Masood Azhar's recent mosque address reflects a shift in Pakistan's terror strategy — moving from cross-border infiltration to promoting lone-wolf and suicide attacks, especially as traditional infiltration routes have been blocked, reported News 18, citing intelligence sources. There is also rising reliance on newly reactivated madrassa networks in southern Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the sources added. The use of mosque loudspeakers to amplify messages from UN-designated terrorists, they noted, is further proof of state complicity in promoting banned figures. India has consistently pressed for the extradition of Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, both listed as global terrorists by the UN. However, Pakistan continues to deny sheltering them, despite mounting evidence of their presence on its soil. In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that Islamabad has 'no knowledge' of Azhar's whereabouts — and said the government would be willing to arrest him if India provides what he described as 'credible evidence.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'If and when the Indian government shares information with us that he is on Pakistani soil, we would be more than happy to arrest him," Bilawal Bhutto was quoted as saying, adding, 'The fact is, the Indian government is not." With inputs from agencies
India.com
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
No Missiles Can Stop Them: Masood Azhar Warns 10,000 Jaish Fidayeens Ready For Jihad
In a shocking audio clip played at a mosque in Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar is heard boasting that while others 'may have everything,' his group has 'fidayeens,' CNN-News18 reported citing the obtained audio, which was played inside the Jaish mosque in Bahawalpur. 'The funds given to Mujahid will be used for Jihad Pakistan requires Mujahid's blessings as much as big religious leaders do. We have fidayeens, no force or missile can arrest them. We have a cadre of 30,000. Jaish has 10,000 fidayeens ready for jihad," Azhar said in an audio. Earlier, Bhutto has claimed that Pakistan does not know the location of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. He said that Islamabad would be happy to arrest Azhar if India provides Pakistan with information about him. Notably, Bhutto is a part of the ruling coalition in Pakistan. Masood Azhar name is linked to some of the most devastating terror attacks the India has faced including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the deadly Pulwama attack in 2019. In 2019, the United Nations officially designated him as a global terrorist. Azhar's release in 1999, following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar, was a moment of deep national trauma. India agreed to release him in exchange for the safe return of the hostages onboard the plane. For years, India has urged Pakistan to take action and hand over Azhar, along with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed. Despite concrete evidence of their presence and activities within its borders, Pakistan has consistently denied their involvement, often claiming ignorance.
NDTV
07-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"How Can He Offer My Father...": Hafiz Saeed's Son Targets Bilawal Bhutto
New Delhi: Comments by Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto - that his country would be "more than happy" to find, arrest and extradite terrorist leaders like Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saaed to India - have not gone down well in certain quarters. In a video shared on X Sunday afternoon Hafiz Saeed's son, Hafiz Talha Saeed, ripped into Bhutto, declaring the Pakistan People's Party chief "is not a true Muslim" and demanding an apology. "... how can he offer (up) my father like this?" Talha said in the video, as he called on "patriotic media" in Pakistan to "critically discuss" the statement by Bilawal Bhutto. Talha Saeed also questioned Bhutto's ability to represent Pak on foreign policy matters. Bilawal Bhutto just dropped a truth bomb 💣: 'If India cooperates, we've no issue extraditing Hafiz Saeed & Masood Azhar.' Now Hafiz's son Talha is fuming 🔥, Lashkar & Jaish cadres losing sleep 😤, and apology demands flying faster than their hideouts relocate. — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) July 6, 2025 "We hope our patriotic media will critically discuss Mr Bhutto's statement... whose family and party have a history of toeing Western and Indian narratives against Pakistan and, on instances, providing them with critical information harming national security," the terrorist's son said. Jaish terrorist outfit boss Masood Azhar (File). Last week Bhutto spoke to Al Jazeera and said Islamabad does not know where Masood Azhar is. Azhar, leader of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, is one of India's most-wanted terrorists; he is linked to the attack on Parliament in 2001 and Mumbai in 2011, as well as attacks on the Indian military in Pathankot in 2016 and Pulwama in 2019. Azhar was in Indian custody till the government released him (and other terrorists) in 1999 in exchange for the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814. Laskhar terrorist outfit boss Hafiz Saeed (File). Hafiz Saeed, meanwhile, is the boss of the (also banned) Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group, a proxy of which was responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people, mostly civilians, were killed. Saeed is nominally under house arrest in Pak, although that is disputed. India has repeatedly said Masood Azhar's JeM and Hafiz Saeed's LeT (and other terrorist outfits) operate with impunity from Pakistan, with the support of the Pak deep state. The Pakistani side, on the other hand, has always denied links to state-sponsored terrorism. Responding to a question by Al Jazeera - on a report by The New York Times stating Saeed is, in effect, a free man, Bhutto had said, "That's not correct... Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of the Pakistani state. As far as Masood Azhar is concerned, we have been unable to arrest him..." "If, and when, the Indian government shares information with us that he (Masood Azhar) is on Pakistani soil, we would be more than happy to arrest him..." he said.
United News of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Pak unable to identify Masood Azhar, JeM chief may be present in Afghanistan': Bilawal
New Delhi, July 5 (UNI): Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has claimed that Islamabad is not aware about the whereabouts of UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar as Pakistan is unable to identify Jaish-e-Mohammed chief. He further asserted that the country would be "happy to" arrest him if India provides information about terrorist's presence on Pakistani soil. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bhutto, whose party is part of the ruling coalition in the country, said Hafiz Saeed is not a free man in Pakistan and Masood Azhar may be in Afghanistan. Masood Azhar is one of India's most-wanted terrorist, who played a prominent role in the 2001 Parliament attack, 26/11 Mumbai attacks, 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, among others. Masood Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations in 2019 under 1267 UN Sanctions Committee. India has been demanding that Pakistan should hand over Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed but Islamabad has been showing its ignorance despite evidence of them being active there. Azhar was released in exchange for the passengers of IC-814 after the Kandahar hijacking in 1999. To a question on a New York Times report stating that Saeed is free, Bhutto said, "That's not accurate. That's factually not correct that Hafiz Saeed is a free man. He is in the custody of the Pakistani state. As far as Masood Azhar is concerned, we have been unable to arrest him or identify him. Given his past within the Afghan jihad context, it is our belief that he is in Afghanistan." India had, several times, requested that Pakistan extradite the 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed for trial in India but Saeed was arrested in July 2019 by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), following 23 first information reports registered against him and his close associates. He was given a combined sentence of 33 years imprisonment in April 2022 by an anti-terrorism court in two cases of terror financing. Saeed has been listed as one of India's most wanted terrorists and carries a USD10 million bounty placed by the US for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The attacks, orchestrated on November 26, 2008, over the course of four days, killed as many as 166 people and injured 300. This statement of Bhutto comes after Operation Sindoor was conducted on the night of May 6-7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. One of the targeted locations was the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) stronghold in Bahawalpur. The operation was a retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 people. The operation involved missile strikes on terror infrastructure, including recruitment and indoctrination centers, as well as launchpads. The strikes were aimed at disrupting terrorist activities and preventing future attacks. Bilawal Bhutto also stated, "If and when the Indian government shares information with us that he is on Pakistani soil, we would be more than happy to arrest him. The fact is, the Indian government is not...". When asked why Pakistan should wait or expect that India should share information involving Azhar, the PPP chief said, "When you have a CT (counterterrorism) cooperation with any country, we provide groups of our concern, they provide groups of their concern. That's how we managed to thwart attacks here in London, thwart attacks in New York, thwart attacks in Pakistan." "As far as Masood Azhar is concerned, if he is in Afghanistan, the West has now handed over to a group that once upon a time they called terrorists, and now they call the people in charge of Afghanistan... It's not possible for Pakistan to go and do what all of NATO was unable to do within Afghanistan. There's no reason for Pakistan to want to see this individual or any individual of concern to be active," Bilawal said. UNI AAB PRS
