NEW DELHI, Apr 29: A top commander of the banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has reportedly died in suspicious circumstances in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur on Wednesday.
Local sources claim that the top militant operative was fatally struck by an unknown vehicle. The deceased has been identified as Maulana Salman Azhar. There has been no official confirmation from Pakistani authorities so far. Maulana Salman Azhar is believed to be closely linked to the group’s leadership and played a key role in its operations.
In a similar incident last year in June, another top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar, was found dead in mysterious circumstances in the Punjab district of Pakistan, as per several media reports. The video of Esar’s death had also surfaced in several foreign media. He was the mastermind of many major terrorist attacks in India.
Some local TV had shared footage claiming that the notorious and senior terrorist of JeM, Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar, died on June 2, 2025. He was a resident of Ashrafwala, Kallur Kot in Bhakkar district of Punjab province of Pakistan. According to JeM sources, he died of a heart attack. But the actual cause of death has not been confirmed.
(Manas Dasgupta)