Latest news with #UN-proscribed
India Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Masood Azhar seen in POK, 1,000 km away from Bahawalpur bastion, shows intel
Fresh intelligence inputs seen by India Today suggest that India's most wanted terrorist, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, has been spotted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region, more than 1,000 km away from his Bahawalpur was recently seen in Skardu, specifically around the Sadpara Road locality. The area hosts at least two mosques, affiliated madrasas, and multiple private and government guest as a tourist hub with attractive lakes and nature parks, it is a low-profile setting for the chief of a UN-proscribed terror outfit. The latest intel inputs accessed by India Today suggest Masood Azhar has moved over a thousand km from his stronghold, Bahawalpur The revelation comes after Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari recently claimed that Azhar might be in Afghanistan. He even suggested that Islamabad would hand him over to India if he was found on Pakistani soil."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," Bhutto told Al Jazeera in a recent has been the mastermind of several terror activities in India, including the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, which left over 40 soldiers dead. Indian intelligence agencies are closely tracking Azhar's movements even as Jaish's online platforms push deliberate misinformation, recycling old audio clips of his speeches to suggest he remained at his long-time Bahawalpur has two known establishments there - Jamia Subhan Allah, Jaish's headquarters targeted by India during Operation Sindoor, and Jamia Usman O Ali, a mosque located in a densely populated part of the city where his old residence also stands in proximity to a have said that India's strikes on Jamia Subhan Allah killed 10 members of Azhar's family. Satellite overview of two old hideouts of Masood Azhar in Bahawalpur. Jamia Subhan Allah (on left seen visibly damaged during Operation Sindoor). Satellite Image: Google Earth/ Airbus Satellite image of Masood Azhar's old house and mosque, Jamia Usman O Ali in Bahawalpur. Satellite Image: Google Earth/Airbus Sanctioned by India, the US and the United Nations, Azhar is believed to be responsible for several terror attacks in India, including the attack on Parliament in was once in Indian custody before his associates hijacked an aircraft and exchanged Azhar for the release of passengers. Soon after his release, Azhar founded Jaish e Mohammad. Masood Azhar's most recent sightings in Skardu This isn't the first time that Azhar has been shifted out of Bahawalpur. After the 2019 Balakot air strikes, he was moved from Bahawalpur to a discreet safe house in is not the only terrorist leader who has found safe sanctuary in Pakistan. Another designated terrorist and chief of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin, is believed to be operating from a posh locality in Islamabad. Syed Salahuddin's hideout in Islamabad. Satellite Image: Google Earth/Airbus He also has a working office in another densely populated suburban locality in Burma Town, where he is often seen accompanied by gunmen.- Ends
News18
08-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
You Have Missiles, Jaish Has 10,000 Fidayeens: Masood Azhar In Pakistan Mosque Audio
Top intelligence sources reveal that Pakistan has revived Masood Azhar as a strategic asset following the setback of Operation Sindoor In an explosive audio of Masood Azhar played in a mosque in Pakistan, the chief of the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is heard bragging about how others 'may have everything", but they have 'fidayeens". CNN-News18 has exclusively accessed the audio played in the Jaish Bahawalpur Mosque. Azhar is heard saying, '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." Why Masood Azhar is being revived? Top intelligence sources reveal that Azhar has been revived as a strategic asset following the setback of Operation Sindoor. Pakistan is purportedly escalating its proxy war during the Amarnath Yatra, using the release of Azhar's audio as a deliberate provocation aimed at disrupting India's internal harmony and targeting the sacred pilgrimage. 'After the attack on cross-border terror infrastructure in Operation Sindoor, Pakistani agencies are reportedly recycling defunct terror figures like Azhar to reorganise sleeper cells and assert dominance through symbolic threats," sources said. 'Azhar's reference to funding for Mujahideen is not mere rhetoric; it is a coded call for financing upcoming attacks, potentially involving foreign sympathizers and hawala routes. This aligns with recent intercepts indicating a revival of terror financing chains in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gulf regions," they said. Pakistan's reliance on suicide attackers, hybrid militants, and radicalised youth due to traditional infiltration routes being blocked. Additionally, there is an increased dependence on newly activated madrassa clusters in south Punjab and PoK. These mosque broadcasts prove that UN-sanctioned terrorists are being promoted with state knowledge in Pakistan. Who is Masood Azhar? Masood Azhar is a UN-proscribed terrorist who is the founder and leader of the JeM, which was responsible for the Pulwama terror attack where 40 Indian soldiers were killed, bringing the neighbours to the brink of war. Azhar was born in Bahawalpur in 1968 and was sent to a madrasa in Karachi after completing his Standard 8 examination. The madrasa was affiliated with Pakistani jihadist groups, from where Azhar graduated in 1989. He joined the Soviet-Afghan war and also enlisted to fight for Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, but failed to complete his training due to 'poor physique". As militancy grew in Jammu and Kashmir, Azhar was tasked with merging two jihadist groups – Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen into the Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA). He became the general secretary of the group and recruited followers from several countries, including the United Kingdom. view comments First Published: July 08, 2025, 16:17 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.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Quad condemns Pahalgam attack, seeks action against perpetrators but no mention of any terror group
The Quad foreign ministers strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in a joint statement, calling for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the 'reprehensible act' to be brought to justice without any delay. It also urged all UN States to cooperate with 'all relevant authorities' in this regard, without naming Pakistan or India. In his opening remarks at the meeting in Washington, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had said India expected Quad – a strategic grouping of leading maritime nations committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific – to understand and appreciate India's right to defend its citizens from cross-border terrorism. This was the first Quad ministerial since the April 22 Pahalgam attack and the subsequent India-Pakistan conflict that ended with India's bombing of Pakistan air bases. 'We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others,' said the Quad statement, expressing deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The UN Security Council (UNSC) statement condemning the attack in April seemed to have acted as a template for the Quad, the former having urged UN States to cooperate with all relevant authorities – without specifically mentioning India - in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSC resolutions. Like with the UNSC condemnation, there was also no mention of the perpetrator group – The Resistance Front (TRF) – in the Quad statement. As a non-permanent Council member, Pakistan had worked to water down the UNSC statement with support from Beijing. 'We call for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,' added the Quad statement. Like in the past, the Quad ministerial unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, renewing commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. Apart from India, Quad comprises the US, Australia and Japan, all of which had separately condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. India, however, was keen that Quad do so in a joint statement for a more impactful response to Pakistan's role in the attack and its support for cross-border terrorism. It was a fair expectation, given Quad's strong condemnation of cross-border terrorism in the past too, like after the foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo last year in July. On that occasion, Quad had strongly condemned 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, calling for bringing the perpetrators of these attacks to justice without delay, and naming UN-proscribed groups including Pakistan-based JeM and LeT for concerted action against them by the international community. There was no mention this time of any Pakistan terror group or the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks in the Quad statement.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rajnath Singh to head to China for key SCO defence talks; anti-terror focus tops agenda- first high-level visit since Ladakh standoff
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh (Image credits: ANI) NEW DELHI: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Qingdao, China, on Wednesday to attend the Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting. This marks the first visit by a senior Indian minister to China since tensions flared along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in May 2020. In a post on X, Singh said, 'Today, 25th June, I shall be leaving for Qingdao, China, to take part in the Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting. ' 'I will have the opportunity to interact with various Defence Ministers on a wide range of issues. Looking forward to present India's vision for global peace and security and also, call for joint and consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism,' he added. During the visit, Singh is expected to engage in bilateral discussions with his Chinese and Russian counterparts, with the agenda likely to cover a wide range of regional and global security issues, including the ongoing tensions in West Asia. In a press release, the ministry of defence said, "Raksha Mantri is expected to highlight India's continued commitment to the principles and mandate of the SCO, outline India's vision towards achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region, and stress on the need for greater trade, economic cooperation and connectivity within SCO. The SCO, established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a regional political, economic, and security alliance. India became a full member in 2017, followed by Iran. The organisation now serves as a key platform for India to engage with major regional players, including Central Asian countries, on issues of security and cooperation. India uses the SCO to address its concerns over cross-border terrorism, particularly from Pakistan, and to push for action against UN-proscribed terror groups. The forum also provides New Delhi with an opportunity to counterbalance China-led narratives by promoting its own vision of a free, open, and inclusive regional order. Strategically, the SCO allows India to manage complex ties with both China and Pakistan while deepening its longstanding partnership with Russia and expanding engagement with Central Asia. It also supports India's broader connectivity goals through initiatives like the International North-South transport corridor and the Chabahar Port, even as India remains cautious of China's Belt and Road initiative.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India urges SCO to act against terror perpetrators, sponsors
NEW DELHI: Without naming Pakistan, India on Tuesday called on Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to hold accountable the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of acts of cross-border terrorism, and to help bring them to justice. During his intervention at the SCO meeting of top security officials in Beijing, national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval strongly pitched for a unified approach by members against terrorist affiliates and sponsors. He requested heads of delegations for support to several important Indian proposals, including an "algorithm of joint actions" to counter challenges posed by international terrorist organisations, including the Al Qaeda and its partners. Seeking to dismantle the terror ecosystem, the NSA highlighted the need to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN-proscribed terrorists and outfits, like Lashkar-e-Taiba and JeM, and their proxies. Sources said Doval reiterated that any act of terror, including cross-border terrorism, is a crime against humanity. He said, "India is concerned about the continued threat from terror groups designated by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammed, Al Qaeda, ISIS and affiliates." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Highlighting the barbaric April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which TRF, an LeT proxy, killed 26 Indian and Nepalese nationals after segregating them on the basis of religion, Doval said the incident underscored the grave threat posed by such groups. Referring to Op Sindoor, Doval said India's response to dismantle terror infrastructure and deter terrorists, who were likely to be sent across the border into India, was measured and non-escalatory. Doval said India has centuries old linkages with each country in the SCO. "The millennia old Indian principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' will guide India's approach to prosper together with SCO member states," he added. The NSA added the member states must come together for joint measures to counter radicalisation leading to terrorism, separatism and extremism, and "joint information operation" to counter extremist ideology. Defence minister Rajnath Singh is travelling to China to attend the two-day SCO meeting which begins on Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in Shandong province.
