At least 40 Jawans Killed as Suicide Bomber Strikes CRPF Bus in Pulwama
Worst Attack Since 2001
The suicide bomber’s car was laden with 350 kg of explosives that rammed the CRPF convoy in Awantipora on Thursday
Srinagar, Feb 14: Forty jawans were killed and 50 injured when a suicide bomber rammed a Scorpio car laden with explosives into a CRPF convoy in Awantipora town of Pulwama district on Thursday. This is one of the worst attacks since the 2001 Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly car bombing.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, said that their militant rammed the car laden with 350 kg of explosives into the CRPF bus.
Sources said Adil Ahmad Alias Waqas, a resident of Pulwama, was the man driving the car that rammed the 55-seater CRPF bus. Such a car bomb suicide attack is happening after several years.
As per initial reports, soon after the attack on the convoy, which was moving from Jammu to Srinagar, gunshots and grenade blasts were heard.
IG Police Kashmir Range SP Pani told News18 that the toll was feared to rise.
Condemning the dastardly attack in Pulwama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other top officials regarding the situation in the wake of the attack in Pulwama.
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 14, 2019
Former Army Chief and current MoS external affairs Gen VK Singh said that “every drop of our soldiers’ blood will be avenged”.
As a soldier and a citizen of India, my blood boils at the spineless and cowardly attacks. 18 brave hearts from the @crpfindia laid down their lives in #Pulwama. I salute their selfless sacrifice & promise that every drop of our soldier’s blood will be avenged. #JaiHind
— Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) February 14, 2019
NC leader Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack.
Terrible news coming from the valley. A number of CRPF soldiers are reported to have been killed & injured in an IED blast. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. My prayers for the injured & condolences to the families of the bereaved. #Kashmir
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 14, 2019
Disturbing news coming in from #awantipura . Twelve of our security personnel have been martyred and several have been injured. No words are enough to condemn the gruesome terror attack. How many more lives will be snuffed out before this madness ends?
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 14, 2019
Last year on Oct 30 security forces gunned down Mohammad Usman, believed to have been the head of the module that was carrying out sniper attacks on forces in the Valley. Usman was the nephew of Moulana Masood Azhar, the chief of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad. Security forces had claimed it to be one of the biggest successes in anti-terror operations.
