New Delhi: Intelligence agencies have traced Jaish-e-Mohammed chief and India’s most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar to the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, marking a significant development in ongoing efforts to locate the UN-designated terrorist, reported India Today. According to the report, Azhar has been sighted in the Skardu area, specifically along the Sadpara Road, over 1,000 km north of his known base in Bahawalpur, Punjab province.
The intelligence assessment suggests that Azhar may have shifted base following increased scrutiny on Bahawalpur, where his organisation’s headquarters and personal residence are located. JeM had reportedly been using guest houses, madrasas, and mosques in Skardu — a relatively quiet town known for tourism — to conceal Azhar’s presence and avoid detection.
The revelation comes in contrast to Pakistan’s official position. In 2022, then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that Azhar may have crossed into Afghanistan and offered to arrest him if credible proof was shared with Islamabad. However, the new inputs suggest he remains within Pakistan’s borders.
Masood Azhar is accused of orchestrating several major terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel. His organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammed, is banned in India and designated a terrorist entity by the UN Security Council.
Following the 2019 Pulwama attack and India’s retaliatory Balakot air strikes, Azhar had reportedly shifted to a hideout in Peshawar before returning to Bahawalpur. In a separate incident, Indian intelligence officials believe Operation Sindoor, a targeted strike, resulted in the killing of ten of Azhar’s close relatives. These included operatives present at the JeM headquarters, the Jamia Subhan Allah madrasa, and the Jamia Usman O Ali mosque.
The relocation to Gilgit-Baltistan is seen by security experts as a deliberate attempt by JeM to keep Azhar away from traditional hideouts and in a location less likely to draw international scrutiny. The mountainous terrain, sparse population, and religious infrastructure in Skardu may provide operational cover while reducing exposure to drone or satellite surveillance.
Azhar, who was released by India in 1999 in exchange for hostages following the IC-814 hijacking, continues to be one of the most elusive figures in India’s counterterror operations. The latest intelligence is expected to escalate pressure on Pakistan ahead of upcoming multilateral discussions on regional security.
Agencies are now prioritising surveillance operations in the Gilgit-Baltistan sector, while New Delhi is likely to raise the matter through diplomatic channels, the India Today report states.
