NEW DELHI: Hamza Burhan, one of the key masterminds behind the horrific 2019 Pulwama terror attack, has been killed. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen. National media reported that the incident took place on Thursday in Muzaffarabad, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Hamza Burhan, a member of the terror outfit Al-Badr, was listed as a designated terrorist by India.
A resident of Pulwama popularly known as ‘Doctor’, Hamza Burhan was declared a terrorist by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022. On Thursday, unidentified attackers opened fire at Burhan in Muzaffarabad. He reportedly sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot. Social media reactions likened the incident to a real-life execution matching the style of the hit Bollywood movie Dhurandhar. In recent times, several terrorists have been similarly eliminated by unidentified groups across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Who was Hamza Burhan?
Born in Kharbatpora in the Ratnipora region of Pulwama, Burhan crossed over to Pakistan in 2017 under the pretext of pursuing higher studies. He subsequently joined the banned terror outfit Al-Badr and quickly rose to the rank of a commander within the organization.
Upon returning to Kashmir, Hamza Burhan played a pivotal role in recruiting local youth into terror outfits. He had direct links to various terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019, which claimed the lives of 40 jawans. The attack was executed at Lethpora when a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosives-laden car into a CRPF convoy.
(With inputs from MN)
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