Jaish-e-Mohammed Changes Name Days After Masood Azhar’s Brother Takes Over Operations: Report

Owing to international pressure, terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has changed its name to Majlis Wurasa-e-Shuhuda Jammu Wa Kashmir. This came after Masood’s brother Abdul Rauf Asghar took over the day to day operations of the terror outfit. Azhar was said to be in protective custody of Pakistani agencies after Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted airstrikes on JeM's training camp near Balakot. However, recent reports have suggested that he has been released as Pakistan is planning to use Jaish for terror attacks against India.

“Jaish has re-emerged with a new name but the same leadership and terrorist cadre; it was previously known as Khudam-ul-Islam and Al Rehmat Trust. The flag of Jaish’s new avatar Majlis Wurasa-e-Shuhuda Jammu wa Kashmir (which roughly translates to “gathering of the descendants of martyrs of J&K”) is the same of its mother outfit with only change of word “Al-Islam” in place of “Al-Jihad,” according to a Hindustan Times report.

In Azhar's absence, his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar is supervising operations of JeM. Asghar was the architect of the IC-814 hijacking which had secured the release of Masood Azhar and other terrorists, has been involved in operations of JeM since its inception.

"Asghar is the real man to watch out for," an officer of the Indian security establishment was quoted as saying in the report. "He meets other Jaish functionaries regularly to plan terror manoeuvres. In fact, recent reports indicate that he has been instructed by ISI to escalate Jaish activities in J&K and beyond in view of abrogation of Article 370."

Azhar is accused of several deadly terrorist attacks in India, including one on the Pathankot airbase in 2016. Abdul Rauf Azhar was reported to have taken over command of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2007, when Azhar went underground. On December 2, 2010, the United States Treasury designated Azhor a terrorist.