Unidentified Gunmen Strike Again, Wanted Al-Badr Commander Shot Dead In PoK

In another attack by unidentified gunmen targeting terrorists, a top operational commander of the banned Al-Badr terror outfit has been shot dead in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Muzaffarabad.

Arjamand Gulzar alias Burhan Hamza, who was killed by unidentified gunmen, was wanted in India for spearheading an elaborate terror network in Jammu and Kashmir.

Since 2023, over 50 top commanders of terror outfits like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen have been gunned down by unidentified assailants in Pakistan and PoK.

Security agencies confirmed Hamza had been active in anti-India terror operations and was a key figure in radicalising youth in South Kashmir.

Also read: Who Was Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, Lashkar Terrorist Shot Dead By Gunmen In Pakistan

Pulwama Link And Pakistan Shift 

Arjmand Gulzar was a native of Ratnipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Around seven years ago, he travelled to Pakistan and later joined Al-Badr.

He rose to become its operational commander, running a network of recruitment, funding and arms supply in Kashmir from across the border.

The Ministry of Home Affairs declared him a terrorist in 2022. He was on the 'Most Wanted' list of Indian security agencies for his role in spreading terrorism in Pulwama and South Kashmir.

Digital Radicalisation Model

Pulwama has long remained a sensitive hub for terror activity. Like neutralised terrorist Burhan Wani, Arjmand Gulzar was seen as part of the digital radicalisation model that used social media and local networks to push youth towards terrorism.

Officials said his network was active in Pulwama, Shopian and Awantipora. He coordinated with overground workers (OGW) from Pakistan to send weapons, money and instructions to India. 

His name surfaced in several cases linked to explosives recovery, grenade attacks and terror recruitment.

Also read: Who's Behind The Hits? India's Most-Wanted Terror Figures Fall In Pakistan

The killing of Arjmand Gulzar marks another setback to terror outfits trying to revive terrorism in the Valley from bases in PoK, security sources said.

In April, Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, a commander of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attackers fired multiple rounds at Afridi, a close associate of the LeT commander Hafiz Saeed.

In March, an unidentified gunman targeted a wanted terrorist and LeT founding member Amir Hamza in Pakistan's Lahore outside a TV station. He, however, survived.