• Source:JND
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Amir Hamza, a founding member of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot by unidentified gunmen in Lahore. The incident took place outside a news channel office in Lahore, where attackers opened fire on him.

Hamza was rushed to the hospital following the incident and is reported to be in a critical condition.

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Second Time In Less Than A Year

This marks the second attack on Hamza in less than a year. Earlier last year, in May, unidentified gunmen shot him outside his residence in Lahore, after which he was rushed to the hospital. Following that incident, the Pakistani authorities reportedly heightened his security. However, they did not comment on the incident.

Who Is Amir Hamza?

Born on May 10, 1959, in Gujranwala, Hamza is a veteran of the Afghan jihad. He co-founded Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) along with terrorist Hafiz Saeed between 1985 and 1986. He has been linked to multiple terrorist activities, including in India, where he is believed to have helped plan the 2005 terror attack on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, one of the LeT's first major strikes outside Kashmir.

Hamza is considered the second most important leader of LeT after Saeed. He has held various high-level positions within the organisation and played a key role in managing the propaganda wing and outreach campaign. The United States Department of the Treasury lists him as a sanctioned terrorist, according to a NDTV report.

As the top ideologue of LeT, the 66-year-old is known as a fiery speaker and prolific writer, playing an instrumental role in the dissemination of LeT's propaganda material. He edited the group's weekly newspaper and authored several books, including the 2022 publication of Qafila Da'wat aur Shahadat (Caravan of Proselytising and Martydom).

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Distanced Himself From LeT In 2018

In 2018, Hamza distanced himself from LeT following global crackdowns on the organisation's financial fronts, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawah and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation. He later formed a separate group named Jaish-e-Manqafa, which has reportedly been engaged in limited fundraising and propaganda activities, especially in Kashmir.

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