40 Army personals of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two other men were killed in a dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulawama. The well-planned attack used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (known as VBIED) to target a CRPF bus that was part of a 70-vehicle convoy.
The convoy was on the Srinagar-Jammu highway and was on its way to Pulwama when a suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden SUV crashed into the bus. The bus had 39 jawans on board when the SUV crashed into it.
40 jawans who were part of the convoy were killed in the explosion. Two other men, who were part of the road-operating team, were also killed in the terrorist attack.
The bus targetted by the suicide bomber was completely destroyed in the attack. The site of the attack resembled a war zone with body parts and vehicle debris strewn about.
The attack took place when the convoy was passing through the Gundipoora section of the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama’s Awantipora area.
The convoy was made up of buses, trucks and SUVs. Each bus/truck was carrying 35-40 jawans of the CRPF.
Terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. A spokesperson of the banned terrorist organisation said “dozens of forces’ vehicles were destroyed in the attack”.
This is one of the worst terror strikes in the state since the attack on the Uri military base in September 2016, in which 18 Army jawans had died and several were injured.
“Attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama is despicable. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of the brave martyrs. May the injured recover quickly,” says PM Narendra Modi.
“Spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh Ji and other top officials regarding the situation in the wake of the attack in Pulwama,” he said in another tweet.
As per details available, a terrorist identified as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus, which was part of the convoy and was reduced to a mangled heap of iron. Earlier, it was reported that the terrorists had triggered a high-intensity IED blast and followed it up with firing.
CRPF (Operations) Inspector General Zulfiqar Hassan told ANI that the Jammu and Kashmir Police has taken up the investigation. “The injured have been shifted to hospital,” he said. “A post-blast analysis is being done at the spot.”
According to local news agencies, a red alert has been issued across Kashmir.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhspoke to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and will visit Srinagar on Friday. According to the Raj Bhawan Public Relations Officer, Malik has directed all security forces’ commanders to increase surveillance. He has also asked the district and divisional civil and police administration to review the security management of all important installations and establishments in the state.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju Thursday said the “cowardly” terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir will not go unpunished and it will be avenged in “all way possible”.
A video of Adil Ahmad Dar alias Waqas Commando of Gundibagh, Kakpora, was released by the Jaish soon after the terror attack rocked Kashmir’s Pulwama.
In the video, that was most probably shot before Adil Dar went about his suicide mission in Pulwama, the terrorist talks about atrocities on Kashmiri Muslims.
Adil Dar can be seen brandishing rifles and standing in front of Jaish-e-Mohammed banners in the video.
Dar claims in the video he joined the ranks of the banned terror outfit last year and after a year, he has been “assigned” the task of the deadly attack. He adds that when the video is released, he will be in jannat (heaven).
A Jaish-e-Mohammed spokesperson Muhammad Hassan said in a statement, “Dozens of forces’ vehicles were destroyed in the attack.”
A convoy of 78 vehicles of the CRPF was targeted on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in the powerful IED blast. Each vehicle was carrying about 40-45 soldiers, many of who are critical and are undergoing treatment at local hospitals.
45 soldiers have been injured in the incident, many of whom are critical.
Credits: Indian Media