India kills terrorist behind murder of Jewish Journalist Daniel Pearl

In a decisive blow to global terrorism, Indian forces eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar, Pakistan’s “most wanted terrorist” and mastermind behind the 2002 murder of Jewish-American journalist Daniel Pearl, during airstrikes on May 8. Code-named “Sindoor,” the operation targeted nine terrorist facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, responding to an April 22 attack that killed 26 Hindu tourists in disputed Kashmir. India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailed the strikes as a crippling hit to “terrorist infrastructure” linked to U.S.-designated groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen, and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Azhar’s decades-long reign of terror included orchestrating the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, which secured the release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, later a key figure in Pearl’s abduction. As The Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau chief, Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002 while investigating post-9/11 terrorism. Accused of being an Israeli spy, he was held for five weeks before his brutal execution. His wife, Mariane, who gave birth to their son soon after his death, later honoured his legacy, stating on the Daniel Pearl Foundation website, “Adam’s birth rekindles the joy, love, and humanity that Danny radiated.” Azhar, who led JeM since 2007, was also behind the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot air base assault, earning him a U.S. global terrorist designation in 2010.

The airstrikes have coincided with a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire along the India-Pakistan border, holding as of May 11, 2025, despite mutual accusations of violations. President Donald Trump praised the agreement on social media, calling it a “victory for peace” that averted “millions of casualties.” The operation underscores India’s resolve to combat terrorism while navigating tense regional dynamics with nuclear-armed Pakistan, marking a significant step toward justice for Pearl and countless other victims of Azhar’s atrocities.