Mohammad Tahir Anwar, the brother of Masood Azhar, has died in Pakistan. While the Jaish-e-Mohammed confirmed his death, it did not reveal the cause of death. The official communication channel of the terror outfit announced that Anwar’s funeral took place late Monday night at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali in Bahawalpur.
It was not mentioned whether Anwar was ill or was killed in any attack. The sudden death of Masood Azhar’s brother has raised questions, as in the recent past, several terrorists have been killed in unknown circumstances in Pakistan.
Who is Tahir Anwar? Brother And Close Associate Of Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar
Tahir Anwar had long been associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and was reportedly active in the outfit’s operations for several years.
He was believed to be one of Masood Azhar’s five brothers and played a key role within the terror organisation.
Masood Azhar’s Family Killed During Operation Sindoor
Last year, Masood Azhar had claimed that several members of his family were killed in India’s targeted airstrikes carried out under Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
According to Azhar, the strikes killed 10 members of his family and four of his aides.
Those killed included his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, as well as five children from the extended family.
🚨 Update on the death of Mhd Tahir Anwar Senior Jaish leader and elder brother of terrorist Masood Azhar from Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
📍 Major Blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed: Tahir Anwar, the head of Jaish’s military affairs and elder brother of chief Masood Azhar, has died under… pic.twitter.com/yaiHoxIMiP
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) March 31, 2026
“Ten members of my family were blessed with this happiness together tonight… five are innocent children, my elder sister, her honourable husband. My scholar Fazil bhanje (nephew) and his wife and my beloved scholar Fazilah (niece)… my dear brother Huzaifah and his mother. Two more dear companions,” Azhar had said at the time, adding that those killed had become “guests of Allah.”
Where Is Masood Azhar?
A UN-proscribed terrorist, Masood Azhar has been the alleged mastermind behind several major terror attacks in India, including the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, in which 44 Indian security personnel were killed.
According to the latest intelligence inputs accessed by India Today, Azhar was last spotted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, more than 1,000 kilometres away from his stronghold in Bahawalpur.
He was reportedly seen in Skardu, a well-known tourist hub in the region.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
