Desk : Notorious terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar, who operated from within Pakistan, has been killed in Indian strikes. He was the brother of Masood Azhar, the chief of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. Abdul Rauf held a senior position in the group and had been commanding its operations for years. He played a key role in several major terror incidents, including the Kandahar hijacking and plotting the Mumbai terror attacks. His death marks the elimination of a major enemy of India.
The development has also been welcomed by the United States. Several top American diplomats have expressed their gratitude to India for taking down Abdul Rauf Azhar.
Abdul Rauf Azhar was the terrorist responsible for the gruesome beheading of Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002—a murder that shocked the world. Pearl was a senior journalist with the Wall Street Journal and was kidnapped and brutally killed. Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq and former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, thanked India for the operation. In a post on X, he wrote, “During military action against Pakistan-based terrorists, India has killed the brutal terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar. He was behind the 2002 murder of journalist Daniel Pearl—something that is still remembered. Justice has been served. Thank you, India.”
Another American diplomat, Ellie Cohanim, also thanked India and tagged the Indian Prime Minister’s Office in a post. She wrote, “We have waited a long time for justice for Daniel Pearl, who was murdered in cold blood. I am personally grateful to PMO India. Daniel Pearl’s final words will forever echo through Jewish history: ‘My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, and I am Jewish.’”
The killing of Masood Azhar’s brother has drawn praise not only from American officials but also from the global Jewish community. Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post prominently covered the news and highlighted its international impact.