‘Unknown Gunmen’ Strike Again? Hamza Burhan Among Pakistani Terrorists Killed In Recent Years

‘Unknown Gunmen’ Strike Again? Hamza Burhan Among Pakistani Terrorists Killed In Recent Years Published By, Last Updated: May 21, 2026, 20:27 IST Gang wars, “unknown gunmen” and unidentified assailants have eliminated several Pakistan-based terrorists over the past few years. Rapid Read Hamza Burhan played a central role in creating and distributing posters, videos and online radicalisation material used by Al-Badr to recruit local youth. (IMAGE: SOURCED) Hamza Burhan, a key operative linked to the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Al-Badr who allegedly worked as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) during the Pulwama terror attack, has become the latest most-wanted terrorist to die in what sources describe as a gang war. Burhan joins a growing list of Pakistan-based terrorists killed under mysterious circumstances. Among them is Amir Hamza, a founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Lahore earlier this year. Others include Mohammad Tahir Anwar, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, and Qatal Sindhi, who were also found dead under mysterious circumstances. According to sources who spoke to CNN-News18, Burhan was killed in an internal Al-Badr gang war in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), allegedly linked to disputes over the distribution of funds within the terror outfit. The killing bears similarities to the death of Amir Hamza, who was shot dead outside a news channel office in Lahore after unidentified gunmen opened fire before fleeing the spot. Burhan also joins a growing list of terrorists wanted in India who have died in recent years, including Shahid Latif, a JeM commander linked to the Pathankot attack; Paramjit Singh Panjwar, chief of the Khalistan Commando Force; and Maulana Kashif Ali, Hafiz Saeed’s brother-in-law who was linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. 2023: Wave Of Killings Targets India-Wanted Terrorists In Pakistan The pattern of India-designated terrorists being eliminated inside Pakistan became particularly pronounced in 2023, when several operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Khalistani terror groups were killed within months of each other. Among the most high-profile killings was that of Paramjit Singh Panjwar, chief of the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), who was shot dead by unidentified assailants while on a morning walk in Lahore despite having Pakistani security cover. Mufti Qaiser Farooq, considered a close aide of Hafiz Saeed, was also shot dead by unknown gunmen in Karachi. On October 10, 2023, JeM terrorist Shahid Latif, a key conspirator in the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, was killed inside a mosque in Sialkot after masked assailants opened fire in the presence of his bodyguards. Weeks later, Khwaja Shahid, an LeT operative linked to the 2018 Sunjuwan Army camp attack, was found dead in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Reports said his body bore signs of torture. On November 10, Akram Khan Ghazi, an LeT commander involved in recruitment, was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local media reports suggested the possibility of internal rivalries within terror networks. The killings triggered speculation over whether Pakistan’s long-protected terror ecosystem was witnessing internal fractures, targeted eliminations or both. 2024: Qatal Sindhi Among Top LeT Commanders Eliminated The trend continued into 2024 with the killing of Zia-ur-Rehman alias Abu Qatal, also known as Qatal Sindhi, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander wanted by Indian agencies. Qatal Sindhi was considered the mastermind of the Reasi terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which terrorists killed nine pilgrims and injured 41 others on June 9, 2024 — the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath for his third term. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan, adding to the growing list of terrorists eliminated under mysterious circumstances. 2025: Masood Azhar’s Brother Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances In 2025, Mohammad Tahir Anwar, the brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan. His death further fueled speculation around the unexplained killings of several India-designated terrorists and operatives linked to Pakistan-based terror outfits over the last few years. Over the past three to four years, more than a dozen terrorist commanders linked to outfits such as LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen have been killed by unidentified assailants across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 2026: Amir Hamza, Hamza Burhan Latest Names On The List The targeting of Amir Hamza, a founding member of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), this year again brought focus on the continuing pattern of India-designated terrorists being attacked inside Pakistan. Hamza, who was sanctioned by the US and played a key role in building LeT alongside Hafiz Saeed in the 1980s, was attacked by unknown gunmen in Lahore. Hamza Burhan, a key operativ