A key mastermind of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, Hamza Burhan, has been killed by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to reports.
Srinagar: A key mastermind of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, Hamza Burhan, has been killed by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad, according to multiple reports.
Hamza Burhan, also known by the alias “Doctor”, sustained multiple bullet injuries after being attacked by unknown men in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). Local reports say he died on the spot after the firing incident.
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Burhan was originally from Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district and had been living in Pakistan since 2017.
Key role in Pulwama attack
Burhan is believed to have played a major role in the planning of the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, one of the deadliest terror attacks in India’s recent history.
The attack, carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a convoy at Lethpora in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to reports, Burhan, whose real name is Arjumand Gulzar Dar, left India in 2017, reportedly under the pretext of higher studies.
He later joined the banned terror outfit Al-Badr in Pakistan and rose to a commander-level position. Security agencies allege he was involved in:
- Radicalising and recruiting youth in South Kashmir
- Expanding terror networks in Pulwama and Shopian
- Coordinating operations linked to militancy in the region
He was designated as a terrorist by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022.
Attack in POK raises fresh questions
The killing of Burhan by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad has once again highlighted internal targeting of terror operatives in Pakistan and POK.
While no group has claimed responsibility, similar incidents in recent years have seen several wanted militants eliminated under unclear circumstances in the region.
Officials have not yet issued an official confirmation regarding the attackers or motive behind the shooting.
The 14 February 2019 Pulwama attack was one of the most significant terror incidents in India, leading to major diplomatic and military escalation between India and Pakistan.
It was followed by India’s air strikes in Balakot targeting terror infrastructure, marking a sharp rise in regional tensions at the time.
Published: 21 May 2026, 03:47 pm IST
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