In a deadly terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives loaded vehicle at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama district on 14th February, killing 44 jawans and injuring many others. According to media reports the vehicle used by the terrorist was a Mahindra Scorpio with more than 350 kg of explosives.
The injured soldiers have been taken to the army base hospital in Srinagar, which is 20 kilometer from the attack site. Meanwhile, Pakistan based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed the responsibility for the attack.
According to Home Ministry sources bomber triggered the car bomb when 78 CRPF vehicles with over 2,500 jawans were on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The area on which the incident took place had been sanitized today morning.
Images showed burnt remains of the vehicles along with human body parts littered across the highway, next to blue military buses. As per official sources the attack was conducted by Adil Ahmad Dar also known as Waqas Commando. He is resident of Kakapora and had joined the terror group last year.
The government has strongly condemned the attack and has asked Pakistan to stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their country. It has also requested the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists that includes Masood Azhar, Jaish-e-Mohammed head, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in a tweet has said that the sacrifices of the soldiers will not go in vain. Modi said, "The attack on CRPF soldiers in Pulwama is dreadful. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel will not go waste. The whole country stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of the courageous martyrs and May the injured recover soon".
Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister will visit Srinagar today to review the situation over there. He has assured that a strong answer will be given to the terror attack.
News agency IANS said that so many soldiers were being transported together as the Srinagar-Jammu highway was closed for the last two days owing to bad weather.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) will investigate the incident along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police today.
This is said to be the worst-terror attack in Kashmir since the start of the century. On 1st October 2001, three terrorists had smashed their vehicle overloaded with explosives into the main gate of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar killing 38 people.
