Bhubaneswar: Hamza Burhan, one of the alleged masterminds linked to the 2019 Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel, has reportedly been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Burhan, also known by the alias “Doctor,” was designated as a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022. His real name was reportedly Arjumand Gulzar Dar.
According to reports, he was attacked by unknown assailants in Muzaffarabad and sustained multiple bullet injuries leading to his death.
His killing adds to a growing series of mysterious attacks and targeted eliminations involving designated militants and terror operatives in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over recent years.
Originally from Kharbatpora in Pulwama district’s Ratnipora area in Jammu and Kashmir, Burhan reportedly travelled to Pakistan in 2017 claiming to pursue higher studies. Security agencies later alleged that he joined the banned terror outfit Al-Badr and eventually became one of its commanders.
Investigators claimed that after returning to Kashmir, he played a major role in radicalising local youth, particularly in South Kashmir districts including Pulwama and Shopian.
Indian security agencies linked him to several terror-related incidents, including the February 14, 2019 Pulwama suicide attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed. Officials alleged that he assisted in arranging explosives and grenades used in the attack.
He was also accused of involvement in a grenade attack on CRPF personnel in 2020 before reportedly fleeing back to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
-OdishaAge
