Contrary to speculations, media in Pakistan has claimed that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is alive, quoting sources close to his family.
Social media has been abuzz with reports about the JeM chief's alleged death, with many quoting liver cancer as the reason for his supposed demise.
Dispelling this, Geo News reported that Azhar is very much alive, without elaborating on the current state of his health.
Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, which claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel.
Following this, there has been mounting global pressure against Islamabad to stop harbouring terrorism on its soil, with the United States telling Pakistan to stop providing support and a safe haven to terrorists and terror outfits in the immediate aftermath.
Meanwhile, India conducted an anti-terror strike on a major JeM camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26.
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"In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis, who were being trained for fidayeen action, were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, chief JeM," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had stated.
Countries like Russia, France, US and, UK, amongst others, have extended their support to India in its fight against terrorism after the JeM assault in mid-February.