Pulwama Attack Mastermind Hamza Burhan Killed by Unidentified Gunmen in PoK

Hamza Burhan, one of the alleged masterminds behind the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Burhan, a resident of Pulwama who went by the alias 'Doctor', was shot multiple times, according to a Times of India report.

Designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry in 2022, Burhan had been on the radar of Indian security agencies for years.

In its official notification, the government had stated: "Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias Hamza Burhan alias Doctor, aged 23 years, is a resident of Kharbatpora, Ratnipora, Pulwama, and one of the associate members of Al Badr, a terrorist outfit designated under the UAPA."

From Pulwama to Pakistan

Born in Kharbatpora in the Ratnipora area of Pulwama, Burhan left for Pakistan in 2017 under the pretext of pursuing higher studies, according to an India Today report.

Once there, however, he joined the banned terror outfit Al-Badr and rose quickly through its ranks to become a commander.

He subsequently returned to Kashmir, where he focused on radicalising youth and indoctrinating them into militancy.

Operating primarily in South Kashmir, Burhan expanded his network from Pulwama to Shopian. Families across Pulwama have recounted how youths who encountered Burhan gradually slipped into militancy, according to a report in The Print.

The Pulwama Connection

Burhan has been linked to several terror-related activities in Jammu and Kashmir, most notably the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack.

On that day, Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Adeel Ahmed Dar rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway at Lethpora in Pulwama district, killing 40 CRPF personnel in one of the deadliest terror strikes on Indian security forces.

For those who have watched the film Dhurandhar, the development carries an eerie familiarity.

Indeed, over the past couple of years, several designated terrorists have been eliminated in Pakistan and PoK, in what appears to be a pattern drawing increasing attention.