In a fidayeen style suicide attack on CRPF Convoy consisting of 2500 men, going from Jammu to Srinagar, eighteen CRPF men have lost their lives. Forty Four CRPF jawans were killed, up from an initial figure of 12 (Updated midnight ) and many injured in a high intensity IED (improvised explosive device) blast in Awantipura area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama on Thursday afternoon
The blast severely damaged two CRPF vehicles — a car and a bus. The injured have been shifted to hospital. There were 70 vehicles in the convoy and few buses were targeted.
Terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a suicide blast. A JeM spokesman in a text message to one of the its cadre Adil Ahmad Dar alias Waqas carried out the bombing. It was not immediately clear if Dar was in the vehicle when it exploded. The police said they were verifying if the IED was planted on a vehicle and was detonated when the CRPF vehicles neared it.
Few of the reactions of the Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir :
I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. My prayers for the injured & condolences to the families of the bereaved: Former #JammuAndKashmir CM Omar Abdullah on #Pulwama terrorist attack
Jaish has claimed the blast as a suicide (fidaeen) attack reminiscent of the dark days of militancy pre 2004-05. #Kashmir
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 14, 2019
No words are enough to condemn the gruesome terror attack. How many more lives will be snuffed out before this madness ends, tweets @MehboobaMufti
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
The Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tweeted :
Shocked by the dastardly terrorist attack in which CRPF personnel were martyred. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured.
Shocked by the dastardly terrorist attack in which CRPF personnel were martyred. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured. @crpfindia
— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) February 14, 2019
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted :
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.
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
Officials said the attack on Thursday, which was less than 20 km from Srinagar, is the first big strike this calendar year and the biggest on security forces after the attack in Uri in September 2016
Zulfiqar Hassan, IG CRPF (Operations), said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police has taken up the investigation. The injured have been shifted to hospital adding post-blast analysis being done at the spot.
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