JeM Chief Masood Azhar’s Madrasa in Bahawalpur Targeted in Missile Strike, Confirms Pakistan Media

In a significant development following India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan's local media has confirmed that a madrasa linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar in Bahawalpur was among the targets hit during the missile strikes carried out by Indian forces early Wednesday morning.

According to reports aired on several Pakistani news outlets, the madrasa - located on the outskirts of Bahawalpur in Punjab province - suffered damage in the precision strikes. The religious seminary has long been associated with JeM activities and has previously come under international scrutiny for allegedly sheltering and training terrorists.

While Pakistan's military has yet to officially name the madrasa among the strike locations, local sources and footage aired by regional media channels showed smoke and debris near the compound believed to be the same seminary run by Masood Azhar's group.

Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of JeM, is a UN-designated global terrorist accused of masterminding several high-profile terror attacks in India, including the 2019 Pulwama bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

India's 'Operation Sindoor' was launched in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. The Indian Air Force is reported to have targeted nine locations across Pakistan-controlled regions and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), with Bahawalpur among the key sites.

The strike on Azhar's madrasa marks a bold escalation and a direct hit on terror infrastructure inside Pakistan, signaling India's intent to dismantle networks responsible for cross-border terrorism.

While Pakistan has condemned the attacks and claimed civilian casualties, India has maintained that its operation was a "focused and non-escalatory" strike on terrorist infrastructure.