NDC DESK
Abdul Rauf Azhar, the mastermind behind the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and a top commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, has been killed in Indian airstrikes under the now confirmed Operation Sindoor.
At precisely 2:30 AM on May 7th, as most of Pakistan slept, a series of coordinated airstrikes tore through nine terrorist strongholds across PoK, deep into Bahawalpur and Muridke. But unlike past condemnations wrapped in diplomatic frowns, this was swift, sharp and a silken silence from the Indian government until the smoke settled.
Launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the mission eliminated over 80 militants including Abdul Rauf Azhar himself. It also included 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four senior Jaish operatives.
Now, the story behind the strike reads like a long-overdue epilogue to one of India’s darkest aviation chapters. Rauf had never once lifted a gun himself. But his weapon was planning. He was a ghost that walked free, the shadow that had escaped justice for decades. He was never jailed behind bars, but was protected by borders.
He is the younger brother to Masood Azhar, co-founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the elusive mind behind one of India’s most traumatic memories: the 1999 Kandahar hijacking. He hijacked Flight IC-814 with 176 lives from Kathmandu and rerouted to Kandahar to barter for his brother’s release. Passengers knelt in fear on a Kandahar runway while terrorists smiled for photographs. India had to release three dreaded terrorists, including Masood Azhar.
With the massacre in Pahalgam, India’s patience ended. Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a mission. It was a statement. Bahawalpur, the fortress and sanctuary of Rauf turned to rubble. As always, Pakistan’s denials came dressed in denial couture. But somewhere in Bahawalpur, there’s a silence more telling than any official statement.
A ghost is gone. The message remains. Hide in havens, plan in palaces, but cross the line, and the line will cross you.
