Intel hints at presence of Masood Azhar's brother, Jaish cadre in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Amid heavy troop build-up in the Jammu and Kashmir, an alarming intelligence input may add to the ongoing tension in the region. According to news agency ANI, latest reports by intel source have hinted at the presence of Masood Azhar’s brother in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Ibrahim Azhar, the brother of the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief have resurfaced in recent times. Apart from that, more intercepts have confirmed that a group of 15 trained Jaish cadres had reached the terror camps in Markaz, Sanan Bin Salma, Tarnab Farm, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after completing their 'Askari' training camps in Jamrud area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It is believed that all 15 of these terrorists are being prepared for infiltration in Jammu & Kashmir, the ANI said.

Meanwhile, three Jaish terrorists were positioned in terror launchpads in Nezapir sector of the PoK. Accoridng to ANI, the intel reports said that these terrorists had direct operational backing of Pakistani SSG (Special Service Group) commandos. They had planned to conduct a BAT (Border Action Team) operation against Indian troops along forward posts of Barood, Sher, Shakti and Kaiyaan, the ANI said.  

In February this year, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar was killed when Jaish camps across the Line of Control were attacked by the Indian Air Force in a pre-dawn attack on February 26. Yusuf Azhar alias Mohammad Salim alias Ustaad Gohri was on the Interpol list and among the most wanted in India. The foreign secretary confirmed India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yusuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The facility at Balakot, located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from civilian presence, was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar, alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, he said, reading out from a statement. The statement did not say if Yousuf Azhar was among those killed. Mirage 2000 combat jets of the Indian Air Force had bombed terror camps at multiple locations across the Line of Control in the Pakistani side. They said  jets pounded the camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti.