Hizbul chief, Al-Badr supremo: Top terrorists attend Pulwama mastermind's funeral

Several top wanted Pakistan-based terrorists, including Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and Al-Badr supremo Bakht Zameen Khan, attended the funeral prayers of slain terror commander Hamza Burhan in Islamabad on Friday.

Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar and codenamed 'Doctor', was buried in Islamabad a day after he was shot by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). Apart from senior terror operatives, officials linked to Pakistan's ISI were also seen at the funeral gathering, according to visuals shared by locals on social media.

The funeral prayers highlighted the high security surrounding the gathering, particularly around Al-Badr chief Bakht Zameen Khan. Visuals showed heavily armed terrorists carrying AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons deployed around him during the ceremony.

The elaborate security presence also reflected fears of possible attacks by unknown assailants, amid a recent spate of targeted killings of terrorists in Pakistan and POK.

Burhan was allegedly one of the masterminds of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in February 2019. A resident of Ratnipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, Burhan later crossed over to Pakistan on valid documents and joined the Al-Badr terror outfit.

The Union Home Ministry designated him a terrorist in 2022 for his involvement in multiple terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. According to officials, Burhan played a key role in radicalising youth, recruiting operatives and financing Al-Badr's activities from Pakistan.

In recent years, he had been living undercover in POK and working as a teacher. Police said he was serving as the principal of a private college in Muzaffarabad, around 135 kilometres from Islamabad.

According to local police, Burhan was attacked on Thursday morning when he stepped out of the college premises. Unknown gunmen opened fire at close range, hitting him multiple times in the head.

"The principal sustained three bullets to the head. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and placed on ventilator support," Pakistani police officials told reporters after the attack.

Sources later confirmed that Burhan succumbed to his injuries.

Police later claimed to have arrested one suspect in the case and recovered the weapon allegedly used in the attack. Eyewitnesses said the accused was caught by locals while trying to flee on a motorcycle before being handed over to the authorities.

Burhan's killing added to a growing list of designated terrorists and extremist operatives who have been mysteriously eliminated in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the past few years.

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