New Delhi, Sep 6 : There is a bunch of fake news and old videos in circulation relating to Jaish-e-Muhammad chief, Masood Azhar. Intelligence agencies report that following Operation Sindoor, Azhar has been taken to a safe place.

While his lack of public appearances is intentional owing to his own security, it appears that he is a broken man today. Among all the terror groups that were hit during India's Operation Sindoor, the Jaish-e-Muhammad was the worst hit.

One of the biggest structures that symbolised the power of the Jaish-e-Muhammad, which was the Bahawalpur headquarters, was hit so badly that the structure no longer exists today. This hit has hurt the pride of the outfit, and it only signalled that nothing in Pakistan is out of reach for the Indian armed forces.

However, the bigger reason for Azhar being so disheartened is personal loss. During the hit that was carried out to avenge the Pahalgam attack, Azhar lost ten of his family members. Hence, Intelligence agencies analyse that he was more hurt due to his personal loss rather than that of his cadres.

Following the operation, Azhar said that 10 of his family members and four of his aides had been killed. These persons were present in the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, which is also the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Muhammad.

A statement attributed to him said that five innocent children, his elder sister, and her husband were killed in the strike. While he claimed that he has neither regret nor despair, that statement is far from true.

This lack of communication from Azhar has the cadres and others who are part of the outfit worried. Owing to these developments, the recruitments have dropped heavily. The Jaish-e-Muhammad does not have anyone who can replace Azhar at the moment.

The entire leadership of the outfit is trying to tell the cadre that Azhar is in a safe place and he will appear soon. In order to convince the cadres, the leadership is circulating old videos and speeches of Azhar and trying to pass them off as new ones. While the cadre repeatedly ask why he is not to be seen in public, they cite security reasons.

The ISI had at first tried to move him into Afghanistan, but found that proposition to be too risky. Moreover, the ISI and Taliban are currently not on the best of terms as the former accused the latter of backing the Tehreek-e-Taliban. The ISI then decided to move him closer to an area protected by the army.

Intelligence officials say that he is in Rawalpindi under the watchful eyes of the Pakistan Army. When it was claimed that he had suffered a heart attack, he was shifted to a hospital in the same place. When he had to undergo a procedure for renal failure, he was again taken to Rawalpindi.

Security officials who watch the Jaish-e-Mohammad closely say that Azhar will make a comeback. Only this time it would take longer, as there is a personal loss attached. The Pakistan Army and ISI will continue to protect him as he is still their most valuable asset. Without Azhar, the Jaish-e-Muhammad is as good as dead. He is their most powerful proxy after Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, Hafiz Saeed, and the ISI would not want to lose him at any cost.

Currently, he is under the protective custody of the army and the ISI. Indian agencies are following him closely as there is no doubt in their minds that sooner or later, he will be back in business.

/IANS