Top JeM ultra dies mysteriously, senior operatives attend funeral

In a severe blow to Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the military affairs head of the organisation died on Monday under unclear and mysterious circumstances. Mohammad Tahir Anwar often referred to as Hakim Mohammad Tahir Anwar and Muhammad Tahir Anwar, was the elder brother of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and close to Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed.

Anwar (62) had previously survived serious injuries during Operation Sindoor, when Indian Air Force targeted the group’s infrastructure, an incident in which his son Hammad was also reportedly injured.

JeM confirmed the death of Anwar through its official Telegram channels and pro-JeM social media platforms. A zfuneral message, attributed to or circulated on behalf of Masood Azhar, described the deceased as, “My dear elder brother. Hakeem Muhammad Tahir Anwar has passed away.”  

No details about illness, accident or any preceding incident were mentioned in the announcement.

Funeral prayers were held late on Monday night at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali also called Jamia Masjid Usman-o-Ali, a mosque linked to JeM in Bahawalpur. The city in Pakistan’s Punjab province is the group’s known stronghold and houses JeM’s headquarters at Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah. According to sources in the security agencies, the funeral saw a rare gathering of top leadership, including Masood Azhar, Ibrahim Azhar, Talha al Saif, Abdur Rauf and Mohammad Ammar Alvi.

There is silence in Pakistan media on Anwar’s death, ostensibly on the orders of the GHQ Rawalpindi which does not want people to know the reasons of Anwar’s sudden demise. Pakistani officials have also not issued any public  ment on the matter either.

In 2025, Azhar publicly claimed that 10 family members and aides were killed in Indian airstrikes under Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack. Those deaths were acknowledged indirectly by JeM commanders but Masood Azhar has not spoken about the circumstances leading to his elder brother Anwar’s death. No group has claimed responsibility, and there is no public evidence of foul play at this stage.

Anwar was one of Masood Azhar’s five brothers and a long-standing senior operative within Jaish-e-Mohammed. He had been actively involved in the outfit’s operations for several years and was considered a key figure in its terror network. He was also involved in scores of terrorist attacks on Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Indian security agencies, Anwar was a central figure for over two decades, overseeing terrorist training operations, weapons procurement and supply chains for Jaish cadres since 2001.

Indian agencies, citing JeM channels and intelligence inputs, consistently describe the circumstances of Anwar’s death as mysterious, unclear or suspicious.

JeM, founded by Masood Azhar in 2000 after his release in the IC-814 hijacking, has been designated a terrorist organisation by India, the UN, the US, the UK and other countries. It has been linked to major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, 2016 Pathankot, Uri, and 2019 Pulwama terrorist attacks.

There are many conspiracy theories floating including that a few days ago, an unidentified woman allegedly pricked him with a pin on his back while he was returning from Namaz. A few variations claim that Anwar was shot by unknown gunmen.

It may be noted that since May 2025, Masood Azhar has lost 11 close family members, a major blow to the organization, which relies heavily on relatives to maintain secrecy around its terror attacks.

Mystery killings of wanted men

There is a documented pattern of over a dozen (some reports claim 16-32) incidents in which Pakistani terrorists wanted by Indian security agencies have been killed mysteriously. Here are some of the most prominent ones linked to major attacks or designations by Indian authorities:

• Shahid Latif JeM commander and mastermind of the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack) was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Sialkot, Pakistan, in October 2023.
• Bashir Ahmad Peer (alias Imtiaz Alam; Hizbul Mujahideen launching commander) was killed in Rawalpindi in February 2023.
• Zahoor Mistry (alias Zahid Akhund; one of the IC-814 hijackers and JeM-linked) was shot dead in Karachi in March 2022.
• Saleem Rehmani (LeT/anti-India militant on India’s most-wanted list), shot dead in January 2022.
• Paramjit Singh Panjwar (Khalistan Commando Force chief, involved in 1980s-90s attacks), shot dead in Lahore in May 2023 while walking.
• Riyaz Ahmad (alias Abu Qasim; a senior Lashkar commander, was shot dead in Rawalkot (PoK) in September 2023.
• Abu Qatal (alias Faisal Nadeem; Lashkar’s most-wanted operative, involved in Jammu & Kashmir attacks, Shot dead by unknown assailants in Jhelum district, Punjab, Pakistan, in March 2025.

These killings share common features; unknown motorcycle-borne gunmen, close-range shootings in public places and no arrests by Pakistani authorities and thus adding to the suspense.