Pulwama Attack: 39 CRPF Men Killed, Rajnath Assures ‘Strong Reply’
Home Minister Rajnath Singh condemned the death of at least 39 CRPF jawans in a terrorist attack in J&K’s Pulwama and said that a “strong reply” will be given to “Pakistan backed Jaish-e-Mohammad” that has claimed responsibility for the attack.
PM Narendra Modi condemned the attack and said that their sacrifices won’t go in vain. He also spoke to home Minister Rajnath Singh about the incident. Singh will be visiting Pulwama on Friday.
At least 39 CRPF personnel were killed when a parked vehicle carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) blasted next to the convoy they were traveling in. The blast ripped through two of the buses.
The CRPF has not yet confirmed the number of casualties.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Police has identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama.
What Exactly Happened
- The convoy of 78 vehicles was carrying 2,547 personnel. It was attacked at 2.03 pm.
- One of the two buses that was badly hit was carrying 39 personnel.
- A CRPF official told The Quint, that prima facie, it seems the bomb was planted in another vehicle which was parked on the highway. The moment the blast took place, terrorists opened fired on the convoy.
- As of now, the CRPF has not confirmed the number of casualties.
- The jawans were returning from a holiday and were supposed to reach Srinagar before sunset. The convoy started from Jammu around 3 am in the morning.
- Police identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama
- Several people were injured in the IED blast, which reduced the bus under attack to a mangled heap of iron
- The vehicles were blown up on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Awantipora area of the district
Bangladesh PM Condemns Pulwama Attack, Extends Support to India Against Terrorism
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in an official letter to PM Modi condemned the attack in Pulwama and extended support to India in fighting terrorism.
'Stop Supporting Terrorists': India Warns Pakistan in a Strong Statement Issued by MEA
India slammed Pakistan over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed and asked the neighbouring country to stop supporting terrorists and dismantle terror infrastructure operating from its soil.
The Indian government condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly terrorist attack on India's brave security forces in Pulwama, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
This heinous and despicable act has been perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation proscribed by the United Nations and other countries, it said.
This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been given full freedom by the Pakistani government to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under Pakistan's control and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity, the MEA said.
The Indian government is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security, it said.
"We are equally resolved to fight against the menace of terrorism. We demand that Pakistan stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory, and dismantle the infrastructure operated by terrorist outfits to launch attacks in other countries," the statement said.
"We express our sincere condolences to the family members of our fearless security personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice," the MEA said.
'Shocked and Saddened': Bhutan Foreign Minister'
Bhutan Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji expressed grief over the death of CRPF jawans in the Pulwama attack on beha
Shocked & saddened to hear of the terror attack in Kashmir. We strongly condemn this heinous attack & express our solidarity with families of victims,&people&Govt of India. Hope perpetrators will be brought to justice. #PulwamaAttack
Rahul Gandhi Cancels Meet with G20 Head of Missions
Rahul Gandhi ‘s luncheon meet with G20 head of missions tomorrow stands cancelled in the backdrop of Pulwama attacks, Congress leader Anand Sharma told ANI.
Embassy of Russia Federation Condemns Pulwama Attack
Embassy of Russian Federation condemned the attack in Pulwama and said that they denounce terrorism in all its forms.
“We denounce terrorism in all its forms and reiterate the need to combat these inhuman acts with decisive and collective response without any double standards. We express condolences to families of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to injured,” the embassy said.