The elder brother of Masood Azhar, Mohammad Tahir Anwar, has died in Pakistan under circumstances that remain unclear, raising fresh questions around developments within the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
According to a statement issued through the group’s official communication channel, Anwar’s funeral was scheduled to take place at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali in Bahawalpur. However, no official cause of death has been disclosed so far, fuelling speculation about the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Anwar, believed to be one of Azhar’s five brothers, reportedly held an influential position within Jaish-e-Mohammed and was actively involved in the outfit’s operations. His death comes amid continued scrutiny of the group’s activities and leadership structure.
The development also revives attention on claims made by Masood Azhar last year following India’s military action under Operation Sindoor. Azhar had alleged that 10 members of his family and four aides were killed in targeted airstrikes on the outfit’s headquarters, Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, in Bahawalpur. The strikes were reportedly carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a statement attributed to him, Azhar listed several family members among the deceased, including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and multiple children from the extended family. Despite the losses, he had expressed no regret, framing their deaths in religious terms and calling them a “blessed” departure.
Masood Azhar, who was arrested in India in 1994 and later released following the Air India Flight IC 814 hijacking, remains a designated global terrorist under the United Nations Security Council. He is widely accused of masterminding several major terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
While Pakistani authorities have not issued any formal statement on Mohammad Tahir Anwar’s death, the lack of clarity surrounding the incident adds another layer of intrigue to the internal dynamics of one of the region’s most notorious terror networks.
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