Hamza Burhan, one of the alleged masterminds of the Pulwama terror attack, has been gunned down by unknown men in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to reports.
Hamza, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar, was one of the top commanders of the banned terrorist organisation Al Badr.
He was on the most wanted list of security agencies. Arjamand, originally from Pulwama district in south Kashmir, had been living in Pakistan for the past seven years.
In August 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir Police attached a two-storey house belonging to Arjamand Gulzar’s father. The Government of India had designated Hamza Burhan as a terrorist for his involvement in a series of terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. According to the Home Ministry, Dar had been motivating youth to join the outfit and funding the terror activities of Al Badr ever since he moved to Pakistan.
Who Was Hamza Burhan?
Hamza Burhan was a militant commander who hailed from Kharbatpora village in the Ratnipora area of Pulwama district. He left for Pakistan in 2017 under the pretext of pursuing further studies, but instead joined the outlawed terrorist organisation Al-Badr, eventually climbing the ranks to become one of its key commanders. He later made his way back to Kashmir, where he was accused of luring and radicalising local youth, establishing a network that extended across Pulwama and into the neighbouring Shopian district in South Kashmir. According to a report by The Print, families in Pulwama alleged that several young men from the region had been drawn into militancy under his influence.
