Sacrifices of security personnel shall not go in vain: PM
NL Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 14
In the worst ever terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since militancy erupted in 1989, a suicide bomber on Thursday rammed his SUV packed with explosives into a CRPF bus near Lethapora on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district, killing at least 42 troopers and leaving the security established stunned.
The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the horror and released a video clip of the suicide bomber, a ‘commander' identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the strike in Lethpora, about 30 km from here.
While precise details of the attack were still unclear, police sources said the suicide bomber-driven SUV came along the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus when a 78-vehicle convoy carrying 2,547 security personnel was going from the transit camp in Jammu to Srinagar and rammed it into the bus around 3.15 p.m., triggering a deafening explosion.
“The fatalities could rise and there were several CRPF men inside the bus which was targeted by the militants,” they said.
So devastating was the attack – one report spoke of 200 kg of explosives, including probably RDX, packed into the SUV – that the CRPF bus was left in a mangled heap, many of its occupants losing their limbs. The bus was transporting 44 troopers.
A road opening party was deployed and the convoy had armoured counter-terror vehicles, officials said. Forensic and bomb analysis teams are on the spot.
The bus that was the focus of the attack had 44 personnel on board, officials said.
CRPF officials said the bus which was the main target of the militants was destroyed fully while another CRPF vehicle was partly damaged. “It is difficult to believe how anyone in that bus could have survived,” said a police officer.
Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said it could have been a suicide attack. This was confirmed by other officials later.
“They identified the local who carried out the fidayeen attack as Aadil Ahmad alias Waqas, commando of Gundi Bagh, Pulwama,” a local news agency, GNS quoted Jaish spokesman.
More than 2,500 CRPF personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed.
The number of personnel travelling back to the Valley was high as there was no movement on the highway for the last two to three days because of bad weather and other administrative reasons, they said.
Usually, about 1,000 personnel are part of a convoy.
All the injured were shifted to the Army's 92 Base Hospital in the Badamibagh cantonment of Srinagar city. Some of them were in critical condition.
All traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway came to an abrupt halt. Senior police and CRPF officers rushed to the spot for a post-explosion analysis.
An officer said the CRPF and police would carry out a detailed investigation to understand the circumstances in which the attack took place.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in condemning the horror.
“The attack … 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,” he tweeted.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was to visit Bihar on Friday, is set to reach Srinagar instead. Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba cut short his visit to Bhutan to rush to Srinagar for a high-level security meeting on Friday.
“Today's dastardly attack … is extremely painful and disturbing. I bow to each and every CRPF jawan who has sacrificed his life in service to the nation,” Rajnath Singh said.
Condemning the attack, Union minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, “Attack on CRPF in #Pulwama, J&K is a cowardice & condemnable act of terrorists. Nation salutes martyred soldiers and we all stand united with families of martyrs. We pray for speedy recovery of the injured. Terrorists will be given unforgettable lesson for their heinous act.”
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and 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,” Abdullah tweeted.
“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 tweeted.
Several other mainstream politicians took to social media to condemn the attack.
Rahul condoles CRPF personnel's death; Cong targets Modi govt
Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled the killing of CRPF personnel in a terror attack in Pulwama and said it had left him “deeply disturbed”.
“I'm deeply disturbed by the cowardly attack on a #CRPF convoy in J&K in which many of our brave CRPF men have been martyred and a large number wounded, some critically. My condolences to the families of our martyrs. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he tweeted.
Paying his party's homage, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the Narendra Modi government of compromising national security and said the list of terror attacks continued unabated under it.
“Condemn the cowardly terror attack on our jawans in Pulwama, J&K today. Our homage to the brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice & condolences to their family. Uri, Pathankot, Pulwama — the terror list & compromise of National Security by Modi Govt continues unabated,” he said in a tweet.
This is the worst single attack in Jammu and Kashmir since a nascent Pakistan-backed separatist campaign began in 1989. It is also the worst attack carried out by militants after the one on the Uri Army camp on September 18, 2016 left 19 soldiers dead – forcing New Delhi to launch ‘surgical strikes' on terrorist camps in Pakistan.
Officials said the reason why so many CRPF personnel were on the move at one go was because the Srinagar-Jammu highway had been shut the past two days due to bad weather. The convoy left Jammu before dawn.
- Governor condemns terror attack on CRPF Convoy
Jammu Tawi, Feb 14: Governor Satya Pal Malik has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy at Pulwama in which many CRPF personnel lost their lives. He has conveyed his grief and sincere sympathy to the families of the brave soldiers who had lost their lives in this attack and prayed for early recovery of all those injured in this gruesome attack.
Expressing serious concern about the terrorist attack on security forces Governor observed that the Forces responsible for insurgency in J&K are desperate and frustrated and they just want to prove their presence. Visibly it seems to be guided from across the Border as Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed the responsibility. He said that such actions will not deter the resolve of our Security Forces and people, and we will finish these inimical forces to the last.
Governor has urged all the Security Forces Commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and directed the District and Divisional Civil and Police Administration to immediately review the security management of all important installations and establishments.
