Masood Azhar, the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, has unveiled a deeply personal and traumatic experience from his past: a sophisticated tunnel escape attempt from Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal jail that was tragically foiled by Indian authorities. This failed bid for freedom reportedly reduced the hardened terrorist to a state of extreme distress, leaving him with psychological scars that endure to this day.
The confession reveals a meticulously planned operation where Azhar and his associates spent weeks digging a tunnel beneath the prison walls using smuggled implements. Freedom was tantalizingly close, with the escape anticipated within mere days. However, a swift and decisive action by Indian intelligence uncovered the underground passage just hours before it could be utilized, dismantling the entire plan.
Following the discovery, Azhar claims a period of severe retribution ensued. He described punitive measures that included drastic reductions in food rations and restricted access to essential facilities, all designed to inflict maximum psychological and physical suffering. The subsequent interrogations were equally harrowing, with Azhar recounting being chained and subjected to aggressive questioning by a particularly unforgiving officer. The experience of helplessness and the verbal abuse he endured during these sessions, he admits, continues to be a significant source of trauma. Azhar’s terror activities in India started after his arrival in 1994 using fraudulent documents, leading to his arrest until his eventual release in the 1999 IC-814 hostage crisis, which enabled him to establish his notorious terror organization.