Hamza Burhan, one of the alleged masterminds behind the 2019 Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel, was reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad on May 21.

Sources said Burhan was shot dead by unknown assailants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing.

The Pulwama terror attack took place on February 14, 2019, when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force personnel on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway at Lethapora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The attack killed 40 CRPF jawans along with the attacker, identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, a local resident of Pulwama district. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The attack had severely strained relations between India and Pakistan, eventually leading to the 2019 India-Pakistan military standoff.

Subsequent investigations by Indian agencies identified multiple accused linked to the conspiracy. By August 2021, several accused, including key operatives, had either been killed or arrested during counter-terror operations.