A senior commander of the banned Al-Badr terror outfit, Arjamand Gulzar alias Burhan Hamza, has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in what marks another targeted killing of a wanted militant leader in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to security-related reports.

Gulzar, originally from Ratnipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was allegedly involved in cross-border terror operations and was listed as a wanted operative by Indian security agencies. He is believed to have played a key role in managing recruitment, funding, and arms supply networks linked to militant activity in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials familiar with his background say he had travelled to Pakistan around seven years ago, where he joined the Al-Badr organisation and gradually rose through its ranks to become an operational commander. Over time, he was accused of facilitating radicalisation efforts and coordinating logistical support for terror activities in South Kashmir.

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The killing comes amid a series of similar incidents in which several top commanders of banned outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen, have reportedly been targeted by unidentified assailants in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered territories since 2023. According to security assessments, more than 50 such figures have been killed during this period, though official confirmation from Pakistani authorities has varied.

Indian security agencies had earlier designated Gulzar as a terrorist under provisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs list in 2022, citing his involvement in extremist recruitment and operational planning. Authorities also linked him to efforts aimed at sustaining militant networks in the Pulwama and broader South Kashmir region.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the killing, the incident adds to a growing pattern of unexplained attacks on militant operatives in the region, further intensifying scrutiny of internal security dynamics within Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

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