In yet another strike on Pakistan-based terrorists by ‘unknown gunmen’, Al-Badr terrorist Hamza Burhan was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He was a resident of Kharbatpora, Ratnipora, in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias Doctor, was shot multiple times in the attack in Muzaffarabad by unidentified assailants, and later succumbed to his injuries, according to reports. He had been designated a terrorist by the Indian government in 2022 and was listed as an associate member of the banned outfit Al Badr under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
As per reports, Burhan went to Pakistan in 2017 using valid documents under the pretext of pursuing higher studies, but he joined the terror group Al-Badr instead. He rose to the rank of commander in the banned outfit. He then returned to Kashmir and started radicalising and indoctrinating youths. He had a long history of anti-India activities. He became the terror group’s operational commander and was responsible for recruiting militants for Al-Badr. He also reportedly handled the group’s supply of weapons in Jammu and Kashmir.
Burhan’s killing comes more than seven years after the Pulwama incident and has not yet been claimed by any group.
The Pulwama attack took place on February 14, 2019, when a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber, Adeel Ahmed Dar, rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Lethpora. The blast claimed the lives of 40 jawans and marked one of the deadliest terror strikes on Indian security forces in recent decades.
