Alive, And Killing? Pakistan Denies Social Media Reports Which Claimed That JeM Chief Masood Azhar Is Dead 

Intelligence agencies are trying to find out the veracity of reports doing the rounds on social media that Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar is dead, said officials, reports Hindustan Times.

According to the report, the officials denied having any information on Azhar’s death and said they were only aware of the JeM head undergoing treatment at an army hospital after renal failure.

Azhar, hailing from Bahawalpur in Punjab province of Pakistan, formed the JeM in the year 2000. He is accused of masterminding the 2001 Parliament attack, suicide attack on Jammu and Kashmir state assembly, attack on Pathankot Indian Air Force base and the recent Pulwama terror strike.

As per the report, social media was abuzz with reports of Azhar’s death, but no confirmation of the same has been received as of yet, said the officials.

However, NDTV cited Pakistani news channel Geo Urdu News as saying that several news reports claiming death of JeM chief “are false”.

There was no official confirmation from the Pakistani government. Geo Urdu News quoted unnamed sources close to the family of Azhar as saying he was “alive”. However, there was no information on his health condition.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in an interview with CNN, had admitted that JeM chief was in Pakistan.

“He is in Pakistan, according to my information. He is unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house, because he’s really unwell,” Qureshi said, reported Hindustan Times.

Earlier, following the Pulwama terror attack that martyred 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, IAF targeted Jaish’s Balakot camp in early hours of 26 February. The camp was reportedly training terror recruits for carrying out suicide attacks.

A Tribune report cited sources as saying that around 30 terrorists were killed in the Indian air strike, including three key Jaish operatives.