Operation Sindoor: Abdul Rauf Azhar Killed in Missile Strikes
In a major breakthrough, India has reportedly eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar, the mastermind of the 1999 Indian Airlines IC-814 Kandahar hijack, during its precision missile strikes under Operation Sindoor. The information was shared via a post by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on social media platform X, confirming his death as part of the ongoing anti-terror operation.
Abdul Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, was a designated global terrorist and one of India’s most wanted fugitives. He played a central role in orchestrating the hijack that ended in a prisoner swap involving the release of his brother Masood Azhar, which many believe emboldened JeM’s terror operations in the decades that followed.
Strategic Target Neutralised
Rauf Azhar’s reported killing marks a major success for Indian intelligence and defence forces. According to officials, he was one of the high-value targets in the Pakistani terror infrastructure that India had been tracking closely. His presence at one of the key launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or Pakistan’s interior was allegedly confirmed just days before Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror massacre.
Sources suggest the missile strikes that targeted JeM facilities, including command centers and launch pads, were carried out with surgical precision using deep-penetration munitions and loitering drones. Rauf Azhar’s elimination is seen as a significant morale and operational blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has been directly involved in several high-profile attacks in India.
Operation Sindoor’s Expanding Impact
Operation Sindoor, which began as a retaliatory strike against terrorist infrastructure, has now evolved into a wider crackdown on leadership figures within Pakistan-based terror outfits. Over 100 terrorists have reportedly been killed in the multi-phase operation, including senior operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
With the killing of Rauf Azhar, India has sent a strong message that high-profile terror masterminds will not remain untouchable. The operation’s success in eliminating such a key figure also reinforces India’s counterterrorism doctrine — combining intelligence-led precision with political resolve. The government has reiterated that the operation is ongoing and that further action will follow if provoked.
