Indian airstrike eliminates Pakistani militant linked to the murder of Daniel Pearl

Image: Jihad Watch

India’s Operation Sindoor has significantly disrupted Pakistan's terror network, delivering what many consider a long-awaited justice for American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.

According to sources cited by News18, Indian airstrikes successfully targeted and killed Abdul Rauf Azhar, the operational leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed and a key figure in Pearl’s 2002 kidnapping and execution.

Azhar, the younger brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Masood Azhar, was also behind the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which led to the release of Al-Qaeda member Omar Saeed Sheikh. Sheikh later abducted and beheaded Daniel Pearl, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, in a horrific act that stunned the world.

On Wednesday, Indian forces conducted a highly precise operation, hitting nine terror sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strike on Bahawalpur, which targeted JeM’s Markaz Subhan Allah complex, is believed to have killed Azhar along with 10 members of his family, including his sister and brother-in-law. JeM confirmed the deaths in a subsequent statement.

American activist Amy Mek, founder of the RAIR Foundation, praised India’s action, stating: "Today, India delivered justice for the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl by eliminating Abdul Rauf Azhar, a key conspirator in his kidnapping, torture, and execution."

She further emphasized that for years, the West had tolerated Pakistan’s terror exports while innocent lives paid the price. "India has done what needed to be done—targeting the very terror infrastructure that fosters jihad," Mek remarked.

Calling Azhar more than just a terrorist, she continued, "He conspired to murder Daniel Pearl… Operation Sindoor struck at the heart of terror, hitting Jaish-e-Mohammed’s strongholds and sending a strong message: India will not remain passive while extremists kill non-Muslims."

She concluded by thanking India for its resolute stance against Islamic terror, urging the West to learn from India’s approach. “Islamic jihad has no place in a civilized world, and anyone who shelters these terrorists must face the consequences,” Mek said.

Pearl disappeared in Karachi on January 23, 2002, while investigating terrorist organizations. He was supposed to interview a religious leader when he was kidnapped near a café. His captors, who identified themselves as 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. Pearl’s body was found on May 16, 2002, after he was executed.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)