Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar’s Elder Brother Found Dead in Pakistan Under Mysterious Circumstances

Mohammad Tahir Anwar’s Body Recovered in Bahawalpur; Cause of Death Not Disclosed by Terror Group

Key Points:

• Masood Azhar’s elder brother Mohammad Tahir Anwar found dead in Bahawalpur, Pakistan
• Funeral held at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali on Monday night; cause of death undisclosed
• 62-year-old Tahir headed JeM’s military affairs wing and led Markaz Usman-o-Ali base

DESK – Mystery surrounds the death of Mohammad Tahir Anwar, the elder brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who was found dead in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, on Monday under unexplained circumstances. Media reports say that the cause of death has not been disclosed by the terror outfit, deepening speculation around the incident.

His funeral was held at 11 PM at the Jamia Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur on Monday night. The announcement was made through pro-JeM Telegram channels, with no mention of illness or any specific incident leading to the death.

Tahir Anwar was 62 years old and served as the head of the group’s military affairs wing. He played a key role in overseeing its operational and training infrastructure for more than two decades.

Tahir Anwar was one of the five brothers of Masood Azhar. While Tahir Anwar led armed cadres on the ground, another brother, Ibrahim Azhar, managed operations in Afghanistan.

Anwar led armed cadres of Jaish and was also appointed as the head of JeM’s Markaz Usman-o-Ali. It has been claimed that Masood Azhar himself sheltered at this base for a period of time.

Reports also say that the site where Anwar died was at the Jaish’s women’s wing, Jamaat-un-Mominat, which was founded on October 25, 2025, following Operation Sindoor.

The Markaz Usman-o-Ali base had come into focus during Operation Sindoor — India’s strikes on terror camps in Pakistan following the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Azhar claimed that 10 members of his family and four of his aides were killed in India’s targeted airstrikes under Operation Sindoor. JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur suffered massive damage in the strikes.

Around 10 of Masood Azhar’s relatives, including his sister, her husband, a nephew, a niece and children from his extended family, were among those killed.

Masood Azhar has long been on India’s most-wanted list and has been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations. Jaish-e-Mohammed was banned in 2002 but is widely believed to remain active.

The group has been associated with several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase strike, the Uri attack that killed 19 soldiers, and the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

Tahir Anwar’s unexplained death has raised fresh questions about the internal dynamics of Jaish-e-Mohammed and the organisation’s chain of command going forward.