Pulwama attack: Around 40 CRPF jawans martyred; NIA team to leave for Kashmir tomorrow

Srinagar, Feb 14: In a ghastly incident, nearly 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and several others injured after a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammad rammed his vehicle into the bus in which they were travelling at Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. News agency ANI quoted Advisor to the Jammu and Kashmir K Vijay Kumar as saying that "Death toll in Pulwama attack is around 40". Hectic meetings are underway in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval over phone. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will rush to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. Singh also spoke to Special DIB, IB Director and NSA Ajit Doval. An NIA team with a suitable forensic component is leaving tomorrow morning for Kashmir to assist the Jammu & Kashmir Police in forensic evaluation of the spot, reported ANI. Some reports had earlier suggest that the death toll could be anywhere between 25-30, but the toll just kept going up. It must be recalled that the bus into which the Fidayeen attacker rammed his Scorpio has been totally obliterated. A Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in. The vehicle belonged to 54 battalion of the CRPF. The IED blast reduced the bus to a mangled heap of iron and body parts could be seen strewn around the area, the agency reported. "There were 70 vehicles in the convoy and one of the vehicles came under attack. The convoy was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar," said CRPF (Operations) IG Zulfiqar Hassan adding that the Jammu and Kashmir police have taken over the investigation into the terror attack. Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the blast and said it was a fidayeen attack carried out by a local youth. Police identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He joined the Jaish-Mohammed in 2018, PTI quoted officials as saying. The terrorists did not target the security car ahead of the bus. The plan was to only target the CRPF bus. Jaish-e-Mohammad claims responsibility The Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The police are also looking at whether any local support was provided. Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the blast and said it was a fidayeen attack carried out by a local youth. Police identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He joined the Jaish-Mohammed in 2018, PTI quoted officials as saying. Reports suggested that the incident occurred after alleged terrorists triggered the blast while the CRPF personnel were travelling in a vehicle through the Srinagar-Jammu highway. Pulwama attack is being described as one of the worst attack on the forces in recent times. In the Uri attack, the army has suffered the most number of deaths. The 2016 Uri attack was an attack by four heavily armed militants on 18 September 2016, near the town of Uri in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. With 19 deaths, it was reported as "the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades". Source: One India