In a development that has drawn significant attention, Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has reportedly suffered a heart attack. According to a report by News 18, Azhar is currently being transferred to Pakistan for medical treatment.
Azhar, who gained international notoriety after being released by India in December 1999 following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, went on to establish Jaish-e-Mohammed. This militant outfit has been implicated in numerous terrorist attacks in India, including the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, and the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The group has been a major threat not only to India but also to several other countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
The heart attack reportedly occurred while Azhar was in Khost province, Afghanistan. He is now being transported to Karachi, Pakistan, where medical experts from Islamabad are being flown in to provide necessary care, News 18 reports.
Jaish-e-Mohammed has long been on the radar of Indian authorities, who accuse Pakistan of harboring and supporting the terrorist outfit. While Pakistan has consistently denied these allegations, India has produced ample evidence linking the Pakistani state to various terror groups, including JeM.
Born in 1968, Masood Azhar has been one of the key figures in Pakistan’s alleged support for terrorism. Despite the UN’s decision to blacklist JeM for its involvement in global terrorism, Pakistan’s support for the group continues to raise tensions in the region.