Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 21: Hamza Burhan, one of the alleged masterminds linked to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was reportedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to reports, Hamza Burhan — also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias “Doctor” — was attacked by unknown assailants and sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He is believed to have died on the spot.
The Indian government had designated him as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2022. Official records identified him as a resident of Ratnipora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and an associate member of the banned terror outfit Al Badr.
Hamza reportedly left India for Pakistan in 2017 under the pretext of pursuing higher education before joining Al Badr, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become a commander.
Security agencies alleged that after undergoing indoctrination, he returned to Kashmir and played a major role in radicalising youth and recruiting individuals into terror networks, particularly in South Kashmir districts such as Pulwama and Shopian.
Officials believe his death could weaken operational capabilities of Pakistan-based terror groups active in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pulwama attack, one of the deadliest terror incidents in India, took place on February 14, 2019, when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, killing 40 personnel.
The attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, and was followed by Indian airstrikes on a terror training facility in Balakot.
Hamza’s killing is the latest in a series of attacks targeting militant operatives inside Pakistan over the past two years. Several members linked to outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have either been killed or attacked by unidentified gunmen in different parts of the country.
Among those targeted recently were Lashkar operative Farman Ali in Muridke, commander Sheikh Yousuf Afridi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Lashkar co-founder Amir Hamza in Lahore, who survived an assassination attempt.
Officials and analysts say the repeated targeting of senior operatives has disrupted the functioning of several terror groups and impacted recruitment and regrouping efforts, particularly after intensified counter-terror operations in the region.