New Delhi: Hamza Burhan, an alleged operative linked to Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed and reportedly associated with the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to multiple media reports. The incident reportedly took place near Muzaffarabad, where Burhan was allegedly ambushed in a forested area late Wednesday night. Local residents reportedly heard multiple gunshots before his body was discovered with several bullet injuries. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing so far.
Burhan, also known by the alias “Arjumand Gulzar”, was reportedly associated with the terror group Al-Badr and was alleged to be part of the operational network connected to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. The Pulwama attack, carried out on February 14, 2019, remains one of the deadliest terror strikes on Indian security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel near Lethpora in Pulwama district, killing 40 jawans and injuring several others.
The attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed and led to a sharp escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan. In response, India carried out counter-terror operations, including airstrikes targeting militant camps in Pakistan. According to reports, Hamza Burhan was a resident of Kharbatpura in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and had reportedly studied MBBS before allegedly joining militant networks in January 2018. He was said to have been categorised as a “B-category” militant. Security agencies have not yet issued any official statement regarding the reported killing.
