'Torn into pieces by Indian forces': Viral video sees JeM commander admit Operation Sindoor damage

A Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) video went viral on social media after one of its commanders publicly admitted that India's Operation Sindoor "tore" their family "into pieces".

This is a rare admission from the Maulana Masood Azhar-led terror outfit that is currently seeking to rebuild Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) HQ Markaz Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) HQ in Bahawalpur—both of which were destroyed as a part of the Indian military operation.

In the viral video posted by OsintTV on X, JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri can be heard recalling the impact of the May 7 operation on their hideout.

“Embracing terrorism, we fought Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar for protecting the borders of this country. After sacrificing everything, on May 7, Maulana Masood Azhar's family was torn into pieces by Indian forces in Bahawalpur,” Kashmiri said in Urdu, flanked by armed men on both sides.

However, THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

ALSO READ | It's lesson not learnt for Pakistan as ISI, army help rebuild terror launchpads, training camps destroyed in Op Sindoor

India has said that its May 7 Operation Sindoor—a series of precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan—was a response to the devastating Pahalgam attack of April 22, which saw 26 people killed.

Operation Sindoor spiralled into an 88-hour conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which finally ended after a ceasefire on May 10.

India, however, has maintained that though the military operation achieved its strategic and political objectives, the ceasefire was only a temporary halt, not an end to India's fight against terrorism.

“If Pakistan again tries to carry out any nefarious act, we are fully prepared for an even more intense and decisive action,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said in July.  

Yet, the terror outfits' reconstruction plans continue. They reportedly plan to complete rebuilding both HQ buildings by February 5, 2026.

ALSO READ | With Pakistan’s financial aid, Lashkar-e-Taiba rebuilding its Markaz Taiba headquarters destroyed in Indian air strike

This is being carried out under the direct supervision of senior LeT commanders Maulana Abu Zar and Yunus Shah Bukhari, a News18 article said.

Citing an intelligence dossier, the article added that the LeT had temporarily relocated its cadres and programmes to alternate facilities to ensure its training system remained uninterrupted.