New Delhi, May 8: In a breakthrough in India's retribution against terrorists under Operation Sindoor, Abdul Rauf Asghar, one of the masterminds of Kandahar Indian Airlines hijack and brother of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Maulana Masood Azhar, was killed.

Abdul Rauf Asghar was among the top 31 terrorists, including Maulana Dasood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, and key Mumbai attacks perpetrator Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, wanted by India.

They were all booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and figure in the list of most wanted individuals by the Indian government for their involvement in various anti-India activities such as bomb blasts, killings and other conspiracies which somehow compromised the country's internal security.

Indian intelligence had been tracking Rauf Azhar for years, citing his role in major terrorist attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the Pathankot IAF base attack, and the deadly Pulwama bombing. Intelligence reports indicated that Azhar was actively involved in setting up terror camps and coordinating funding for JeM.

Notably, Maulana Massod Azhar lost 10 of his family members in the attack inflicted on his camp at Bahawalpur in the Punjab province of Pakistan under Operation Sindoor early Wednesday. Azhar was saved as he was away from his hideout, according to sources.

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