The Indian government announced Thursday that its military forces conducted a targeted operation resulting in the death of Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Indian authorities claim Azhar was a key conspirator in the 2002 kidnapping, torture, and beheading of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.

Daniel Pearl, a 38-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter and South Asia bureau chief, was kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 23, 2002, while investigating links between Pakistani terrorists and Richard Reid, the so-called “shoe bomber.” Pearl, who was Jewish, was lured to a meeting under the pretense of an interview with a religious cleric. Instead, he was abducted by a coalition of Islamist terrorist groups, including members of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, operating under the banner of the “National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty.”

The kidnappers issued demands for the release of Pakistani detainees held by the United States and an end to U.S. military actions in Afghanistan. They released haunting images of Pearl in chains, holding a newspaper with a gun to his head. Nine days later, on or around February 1, 2002, Pearl was beheaded. A graphic video of his execution was sent to the U.S. Consulate in Karachi and later circulated online, shocking the world and foreshadowing the brutal propaganda tactics later adopted by groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS. Pearl’s dismembered remains were discovered in May 2002 in a shallow grave north of Karachi.

Investigations into Pearl’s murder implicated multiple individuals. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-born terrorist, was convicted in 2002 for orchestrating the kidnapping and sentenced to death in Pakistan. However, his murder conviction was overturned in 2020 by the Sindh High Court, which reduced his sentence to seven years for kidnapping—a term he had already served. The decision sparked international outrage, with the Pearl family and U.S. officials calling it a “travesty of justice.”

In 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, confessed to personally beheading Pearl during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, though his confession, obtained under waterboarding, raised concerns about its admissibility in court. A 2011 investigation by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University substantiated Mohammed’s role in the beheading but confirmed Sheikh’s involvement in the kidnapping.

Abdul Rauf Azhar, the terrorist killed in the recent Indian operation, was a senior Jaish-e-Mohammed operative and brother of the group’s founder, Masood Azhar. He was also a key figure in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, which led to the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and other terrorists in exchange for hostages. Indian authorities have long accused Azhar of involvement in Pearl’s kidnapping and murder, citing his role in Jaish-e-Mohammed’s operations in Pakistan.

According to Indian government sources, Abdul Rauf Azhar was killed in a precision strike in a remote area, though specific details about the location and method were not disclosed. The operation was described as a response to credible intelligence linking Azhar to ongoing terrorist activities and his historical role in high-profile attacks, including Pearl’s murder. Indian officials emphasized that the strike underscores their commitment to combating terrorism and holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of borders.

“India has delivered justice for the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl,” a government spokesperson said. “Abdul Rauf Azhar’s elimination sends a clear message: those who target innocents and spread terror will face the consequences.”

The U.S. State Department has not yet commented on India’s announcement, but past statements from U.S. officials have underscored a commitment to securing justice for Pearl’s family. In 2021, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the U.S. was prepared to prosecute Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in the United States for his role in Pearl’s abduction and murder. The Pearl family, who have consistently appealed for accountability, could not be reached for immediate comment but have previously expressed frustration with Pakistan’s handling of the case.

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