Srinagar: 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 media reports.
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.”
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 media report.
