New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Hamza Burhan, one of the key planners behind the Pulwama attack, was killed by unknown gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The incident took place at Muzaffarabad in PoK, and Burhan is said to have been shot multiple times.

He was attacked and killed by unknown assailants and is said to have died instantly due to multiple gunshots.

While designating him as a terrorist in 2022, the Indian government had said, “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.”

Hamza, also known as Doctor, was born in the Ratnipora area of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. He had left for Pakistan in 2017, stating that he was pursuing his higher studies. He, however, joined the terror outfit Al Badr and in quick time rose to the rank of commander.

Following his indoctrination into the Al Badr, he returned to Kashmir. He was involved in radicalising the youth and also indoctrinating them into terror groups. His work remained largely focused on South Kashmir.

During his stay in Kashmir, he managed to expand his network from Pulwama to Shopian. His death deals a major blow to the terror networks in Pakistan. He was a key player for the Pakistan-based terror groups, which carry out operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pulwama terror attack is one of the deadliest incidents in India. On February 14, 2019, a convoy carrying Indian security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was targeted in the Lethapora area of Pulwama. A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus within the convoy, killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

The attack was carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the bomber was identified as Adil Ahmad Dar. Following this strike, the Indian Air Force retaliated by striking a Jaish-e-Mohammed training base in Balakot.

Hamza’s killing adds to the long list of terrorists being eliminated by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. In May this year, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Farman Ali was shot dead at Muridke. In April, unknown gunmen shot dead Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the same month, the co-founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Amir Hamza, was shot at by unknown gunmen in Lahore. He, however, survived the shooting.

In January, Pakistani Army Lieutenant Colonel Imran Dayal, a handler for the Pahalgam terror attack, was gunned down in Dera Ismail Khan. Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Mushtaq alias Ghazi Baba was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Peshawar in October 2025.

Last year in May, Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Razaullah Nizamani alias Abu Saifullah Khalid was shot in Matli, Sindh province. Pakistan has not released official statements on these shootings, and investigations, too, remain inconclusive.

Such incidents have been on the rise in the past two years. The targeting of top commanders and leaders has left outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed struggling to regroup.

Since Operation Sindoor, both these terror groups, which were hit the hardest, have struggled to revive and also reset operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian agencies had noted that such killings have demoralised these groups, and this has led to reduced recruitments.

–IANS

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