Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is reportedly heard saying in an audio clip that the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation has 10,000 fidayeens ready for jihad, according to a report.
The audio reportedly taken from a mosque in Pakistan's Bahawalpur was accessed by News18. However, THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the undated clip. Azhar, who has not appeared in the public since 2019, is reportedly hiding "safe house" under ISI protection.
According to the report, Azhar is heard saying, "The funds given to Mujahid will be used for jihad. Pakistan requires Mujahid's blessings as much as big religious leaders do."
Bragging that the JeM has a cadre of 30,000 fighters, the terror leader says, "We have fidayeens, no force or missile can arrest them... Jaish has 10,000 fidayeens ready for jihad."
This comes days after former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari dismissed allegations that the UN-designated terrorist is in Pakistan. Speaking to reporters, he said the government has been "unable to identify or arrest" Azhar who is wanted by India for several terror attacks. Bilawal went on to say that Islamabad would be "happy to arrest" the JeM chief if India can prove that the terror leader is in Pakistan.
Azhar, who is mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, was also involved in the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack.
India has long been seeking the extradition of Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed from Pakistan. However, Islamabad has denied harbouring the terror leaders. In May, Azhar acknowledged that 10 members of his family were killed during Operation Sindoor after India destroyed JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur. These included his elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family.
