File image of Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force delivered a massive blow to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group on Tuesday after it bombed one of its biggest terror factories situated in Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. More than 300 terrorists, trainers and senior commanders of the JeM are believed to have been eliminated in the air strike.

Among the dead is JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law, Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale announced. He was also known by the name Mohammed Salim. Yousuf Azhar was on the list of Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) and among India’s Most Wanted terrorists.

It may be recalled that Yousuf Azhar was one of the terrorists who had hijacked the Indian Airline flight IC-814 to Kandahar in 1999. India had to release JeM chief Masood Azhar in exchange for the passengers who were onboard the Indian aircraft.

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Three years later, in 2002, India had given to Pakistan a list of 20 fugitives and that list had included the name of Yousuf Azhar.

A year later, in 2000, the Interpol had issued a red-corner notice against Yousuf Azhar upon a request from the Indian Central of Investigation (CBI). The Interpol had mentioned Yousuf Azhar’s birthplace as Pakistan’s Karachi city.

JeM's Yusuf Azhar alias Mohammad Salim alias Ustaad Gohri who was targeted today by IAF #airstrike in Balakot across LOC was on the Interpol list and among the most wanted in India. pic.twitter.com/1eTj8FhFMJ — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2019

Yousuf Azhar, who is wanted in India for ‘hijacking, murder and kidnapping’, is believed to be fluent in Urdu and Hindi languages.

The Balakot terror camp in Pakistan, which was today targeted by the Indian Air Force in a non-military, pre-emptive strike, was being run by Yousuf Azhar. It has been learned that at the camp, recorded speeches of senior Jaish leaders including of chief Maulana Masood Azhar were played. The speeches used to carry provocative propaganda aimed at instigating terror attacks in the name of Jihad.

Once their training were completed, the terrorists were provided with sophisticated arms and ammunition, communication devices and logistical items. They were then infiltrated into the Indian territory.