2019 Pulwama terror attack mastermind Hamza Burhan killed by unknown gunmen in PoK

Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar, an Al-Badr terrorist commander originally from Pulwama, was mastermind of 2019 terror attack which killed 40 CRPF personnel. 

Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar, an Al-Badr terrorist commander originally from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, was allegedly killed by unknown assailants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according a report by India Today.

Also known as 'Doctor' and one of the key masterminds behind the 2019 Pulwama attack that killed over 40 CRPF personnel, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He sustained multiple bullet injuries in the attack.

Who was Hamza Burhan?

Hamza Burhan, a resident of Kharbatpora, Ratnipora in Pulwama district, had crossed over to Pakistan in 2017.

He rose as a key operative and self-styled commander of the banned outfit Al-Badr, operating primarily from PoK. Indian security agencies had designated him a terrorist under the UAPA for his alleged role in motivating Kashmiri youth to join militancy, facilitating funding, and supporting terror activities in the Valley.

Also Read: How hair loss, Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir made LeT terrorist change his mind

Role in Pulwama Terror attack

He was linked to several cases involving recruitment and logistical support for terrorist operations. He was also involved in other terror activities, including a grenade attack on CRPF personnel on November 18, 2020.

While he was not one of the direct masterminds of the 2019 Pulwama suicide attack, carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Adil Ahmad Dar, Hamza Burhan was accused of being part of the broader ecosystem of radicalisation and terror recruitment in South Kashmir that contributed to such incidents. after the massive manhunt, Burhan fleed to PoK and was later declared as a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022.

Puwama terror attack which resulted in the death of 40 CRPF personnel is one of the deadliest terror attacks in India. The attack prompted the Indian Air Force to carry out airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26, 2019. The strikes significantly escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.

Also Read: Lashkar terrorist, Shabbir Ahmad Lone, who operated from Bangladesh, arrested by Delhi Police

Mysterious killings on rise in Pakistan

This killing is part of a recent pattern of mysterious eliminations of designated terrorists and commanders from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and PoK. With recent examples like the shooting of Amir Hamza (a founding member of LeT) in Lahore last month and the death of Muhammad Tahir Anwar (elder brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar) under mysterious circumstances in March.