When Rauf Azhar, killed in India’s Operation Sindoor, kidnapped and beheaded Jewish-American journalist Daniel Pearl
The brother of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, Abdul Rauf Azhar has likely been killed in India’s Operation Sindoor on Pakistan’s terror targets.
India’s Operation Sindoor has not only struck at the heart of Pakistan’s terror infrastructure but also delivered what many see as long-overdue justice for American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.
Hailing the Indian strikes, American activist Amy Mek, founder of the RAIR Foundation, wrote: “Today, India delivered justice for the brutal murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl by eliminating Abdul Rauf Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed commander and key conspirator behind Pearl’s kidnapping, torture, and beheading.”
🚨 Justice for Daniel Pearl: India Strikes Back!
🇮🇳 Today, India delivered justice for the brutal murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl by eliminating Abdul Rauf Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed commander and key conspirator behind Pearl’s kidnapping, torture, and… pic.twitter.com/wNGep3BD5H
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) May 8, 2025
“For years, the West has tolerated Pakistan’s terror export while innocent lives paid the price. India has finally done what needed to be done – targeting the very Islamic terror infrastructure that breeds jihad.”
“Abdul Rauf Azhar wasn’t just a terrorist; he was the brother of Masood Azhar, JeM’s founder, and a mastermind behind some of the most heinous Islamic attacks. He conspired to murder Daniel Pearl.”
“Operation Sindoor struck at the heart of terror, hitting Jaish-e-Mohammed strongholds and sending a clear message: India will not stand by while radicals slaughter non-Muslims. To India, we say THANK YOU.”
“Thank you for standing strong against Islamic terror and taking the fight directly to the jihadis. The West must learns from India’s stance on Islamic terror. Islamic jihad has no place in a civilized world, and anyone who shelters these monsters must face the consequences.”
Pearl had disappeared in Karachi on January 23, 2002, while investigating terror networks. He was reportedly scheduled to interview a religious leader when he was abducted near a café. His captors, calling themselves the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, accused him of being a spy and demanded the release of Pakistani prisoners held by the US. Later, Pearl was killed and his body was discovered on May 16, 2002.
Daniel Pearl, a Jewish-American journalist, was killed in 2002 by a Pakistani terrorist who was affiliated with al-Qaeda. https://t.co/511f2X2vae
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 8, 2025
Who was Rauf Azhar?
Abdul Rauf Azhar rose to global prominence with the inception of JeM in 2000 and was the terrorist organistation’s deputy chief when it was banned in 2007. Earlier, a letter said to be issued by Masood Azhar claimed that as many as 14 members of Masood Azhar’s family and four aides were killed in India’s targetted strike in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur on May 7. Those killed included his sister, her husband, nephew, niece and others.
– कंधार प्लेन हाईजैक
– पठानकोट आतंकी हमला
– भारतीय संसद आतंकी हमला#OperationSindoor में मारा गया मोस्ट वांटेड पाकिस्तानी आतंकी अब्दुल रऊफ अजहर। pic.twitter.com/NKuRwptldH— BJP (@BJP4India) May 8, 2025
Following this, he orchestrated several more attacks on Indian establishments, including the Indian Parliament attack in 2000, the attack on the makeshift Ayodhya Ram temple in 2005, the attack at the Indian Air Force’s Pathankot base in 2016, and the Pulwama attack in 2019 that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
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