Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar and nicknamed “Doctor,” the mastermind behind the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 21, 2026.
Burhan, born in 1999 in Ratnipora, Pulwama, was a commander of the Al-Badr terror group and had been designated a terrorist by India in April 2022 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He played a key role in planning the February 14, 2019 suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama.
Reports indicate that Burhan was attacked outside AIMS College in Gojra, Muzaffarabad, where he had been living undercover as a college principal. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and succumbed to his injuries.
Local police arrested a suspect fleeing the scene on a motorcycle and recovered the weapon used in the attack. While some outlets initially reported Burhan was critically injured and shifted to hospital, most credible sources confirm his death.
Burhan’s elimination is considered a major blow to Al-Badr and Jaish-e-Mohammed networks, disrupting recruitment and funding pipelines in Kashmir. His death also highlights the growing trend of high-profile terrorists being eliminated in Pakistan and PoK under unclear circumstances, pointing to internal rivalries or covert operations.
The Pulwama attack had triggered India’s Balakot airstrikes in 2019, escalating tensions with Pakistan. Burhan’s killing once again raises questions about Pakistan’s sheltering of designated terrorists and the vulnerabilities within terror networks operating in the region.
