Who was Arjumand Gulzar, alias Burhan Hamza, 2019 Pulwama attack mastermind shot dead in PoK?

Burhan Hamza, a designated terrorist and the mastermind behind the 2019 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy, has been shot dead by unkown men in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, news agency PTI has informed.

Hamza was operating under heavy security vetted by the Inter Services Intelligence, Pakistan's foreign intelligence agency, but was still ambushed and shot at in Muzaffarabad.

Hamza, who was left critically injured by the attackers, was airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi, PTI said quoting officials in New Delhi.

The assailants fled the scene before local security could get a hold of them.

This is not the first time that unidentified gunmen have attacked terrorists in Pakistan and PoK. Around 50 top commanders of major terror outfits like JeM and LeT have been gunned down by unknown men since 2023, as per an NDTV report.

Hamza was declared a designated terrorist under UAPA for masterminding the 14 February, 2019 suicide terror attack conducted by Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation, on a CRPF vehicle that led to the death of 40 personnel.

Indian forces retaliated by launching what became known as a 'surgical strike' -- where they ran an intelligence-led operation led by IAF jets in the early hours of 26 February, 2019, striking the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot.

Hamza was also known as Doctor, and was living in Cheela Bandi, a densely populated neighbourhood on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, before he got gunned down. His security detail included eight commandos, a bulletproof vehicle, as well as an escort vehicle. This indicates he was accorded state-level protection, the agency reported citing sources.

This security cover was given to Hamza after he allegedly fabricated an attack on himself somewhere between January and February 2025, the report revealed.

Hamza worked closely with ex-Al Baraq commander Farooq Qureshi, whose name has often surfaced in connection with drug trafficking, counterfeit currency rackets, cross-border militant ops in Kashmir Valley, as well as arms smuggling.

The duo operated from an industrial compound locally known as "Machis Factory" in Muzaffarabad.

Hamza maintained close ties with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, particularly with an officer identified as Col Rizwan, suggesting deeper intelligence ties and protection, PTI said.

He had recently married the daughter of Qadir Lala, a former Hizbul Mujahideen operative from Kupwara, currently employed as a security operator at the terror group's housing project in Chek Shezad, Pakistan.

He was also said to have maintained close ties with Murtaza, another former Hizbul Mujahideen operative from Pulwama, who is now based out of Islamabad, and had made visits to the latter's residence.

With PTI inputs