The main mastermind behind the 2019 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir has been killed. According to a report by news agency PTI, Arjumand Gulzar, also known as Burhan Hamza, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Officials said Hamza, who was working under tight security by the ISI, was ambushed in Muzaffarabad, news agency PTI reported.
They added that he was seriously injured after the accident and was airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Sources told PTI that Hamza lived under his alias as a doctor in Sheila Bandi, a densely populated neighborhood on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad. PTI also reported that the designated terrorist had security details of eight commandos, a bullet-resistant (BR) vehicle, and an escort vehicle, indicating state-level protection and operational importance.
Originally from Khar in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, Hamza was once associated with Al-Badr militant groups and later moved to Al-Barq. He also maintained a close alliance with the ISI, after an acrimonious exit from the agency.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist under UAPA for his involvement in organizing the February 14, 2019 suicide terror attack in Pulwama. The attack, carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist organization JeM, targeted a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing 40 personnel.
In response to the 2019 attack, Indian security forces carried out an intelligence operation led by Indian Air Force aircraft in the early hours of 26 February 2019, striking the largest JeM training camp in Balakot.
(With inputs from PTI)
