Masood Azhar: The Mastermind Behind Major Terror Attacks From Mumbai to Delhi's Red Fort Blast

The November 10 explosion that devastated central Delhi has brought renewed attention to Masood Azhar, one of the most notorious terrorist figures operating from across the border. Despite being officially designated as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council, Azhar continues to receive protection from Pakistan and remains among the primary instigators of terrorist activities in India. His involvement spans from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to the recent Red Fort blast in Delhi, cementing his reputation as a dangerous figure within the terrorist ecosystem supported by Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency.

Despite Pakistan's official denials about harboring Azhar on its territory, it is widely acknowledged that the terrorist moves freely under Islamabad's protection.

Azhar has now been connected to the 10/11 blast near Delhi's Red Fort. On November 10, a Hyundai i20 exploded, claiming nine lives, with significant evidence pointing to the involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammed in this horrific attack.

Masood Azhar, aged 56, founded the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has executed numerous terrorist attacks throughout India. He established the group in 1999-2000 after India released him in exchange for hostages taken during the IC-814 hijacking incident. JeM operates from its base in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

While repeated strikes have eliminated many of Azhar's associates and family members over the years, both he and his organization continue to thrive with support from Pakistan's deep state, according to intelligence sources. Their operations in India remain significant despite regular interventions by anti-terror and security agencies.

Azhar's record of cross-border terrorism is extensive and complex. He has been implicated in the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attacks, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. The most recent appears to be the Delhi blast, with Jaish connections emerging as multiple suspects are arrested.

The JeM's leadership structure in India is reportedly decentralized, making it challenging for security forces to target and eliminate them. Their field commanders are predominantly of Pakistani origin – high-ranking personnel within the Jaish hierarchy deployed to direct attacks. These individuals are designated as high-value targets by Indian security forces.

Last November, Azhar delivered a public address at an Islamic seminary in Pakistan's Punjab province, reportedly pledging to continue attacks against India. During this speech, he also declared that JeM would intensify its operations in Jammu and Kashmir. In December, India demanded Pakistan take action against Azhar and JeM, stating that if reports of his speech were accurate, it "exposed Pakistan's duplicity" regarding terrorists operating from Pakistani territory.

Azhar and his terrorist infrastructure suffered significant damage during Operation Sindoor. At least 10 members of his family perished in a strike on the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, which was among nine terrorist camps targeted during the May 7 offensive launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre.

The casualties included Azhar's elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from the extended family. Azhar himself survived. In a subsequent statement, he claimed to have no regrets about these deaths but expressed a wish that he had died alongside his family members.

Recently, Jaish launched its women's brigade, Jamaat ul-Mominaat, designed to indoctrinate women under the guise of religious education. Leading this initiative is Sadia Azfar, trained by her terrorist brother Masood Azhar to expand their extremist agenda. Sadia's husband, terrorist Yusuf Azhar, was killed during the Operation Sindoor strike.

The women's brigade is currently recruiting, focusing particularly on the wives of senior JeM commanders. Last month, Afira Bibi, widow of Pulwama attack mastermind Umar Farooq, joined its advisory council. Following Farooq's death in 2019, Bibi now oversees the Jamaat-ul-Mominat's activities alongside Sadia Azhar.

Dr. Shaheen Saeed, a doctor at a medical college in India's Faridabad who was arrested over Jaish connections, had been tasked with establishing the women's brigade's Indian division. This demonstrates the reach of this newly formed terrorist group. Saeed was apprehended hours before the recent Delhi explosion, with authorities discovering an assault rifle and ammunition in her vehicle.

Masood Azhar was previously in Indian custody but was released following the Air India IC814 hijacking. In December 1999, five armed terrorists hijacked the aircraft while it was flying to Delhi from Kathmandu and diverted it to Kandahar, Afghanistan, after stops in Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. India was forced to release Azhar and two other terrorists in exchange for the hostages.

Last year, social media posts—apparently originating from Pakistani users—claiming Azhar had died in a bomb blast went viral, but these reports were subsequently proven false.