In the worst ever terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and around two dozen were injured in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack carried out by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant at Lethpora area on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) in Pulwama District on February 14, reports Daily Excelsior. A JeM Fidayeen (suicide attacker), identified as Adil Ahmad Dar alias Waqas Commando (Pulwama resident) rammed an explosive-laden car into the CRPF bus in a convoy near Lethpora in Pulwama District at around 3:15 pm leading to a huge blast in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed and around two dozen injured. The militant was also believed to be killed in the blast. The bus that was targeted belonged to 76th Batallion of CRPF and 44 personnel from 92, 17 and 54 battalions were travelling in it. Another CRPF truck was also blown in the blast and two more buses were damaged with the impact of the blast.
Later, JeM claimed the responsibility for the attack. They also released the video of the Fidayeen (Adil Ahmad Dar), recorded before attack in which he said that he had joined “Fidayeen squad” of JeM last year (2018). He talks about attacks carried out by the JeM on troops, Parliament and hijacking of airliner. He also warned more attacks.
An official at the spot said that, the militant was driving a vehicle packed with over 100 kg of explosives on the wrong side of the road and hit the bus, in which 39-44 personnel were travelling, head-on. “There are no survivors from the bus,” he said, adding that they were yet to ascertain exactly how many people were on the bus. “It was a large convoy and about 2,500 personnel were travelling in multiple vehicles. Some shots were also fired at the convoy,” CRPF DG R R Bhatnagar said.
The attack comes two days after a local intelligence generated an input about possible Fidayeen attack on Security Forces (SFs) in Jammu and Kashmir. The input was generated after JeM issued a threat on social media of carrying out a major blast in the State. “The chatter inputs revealed that JeM outfit has hinted to carry out IED attacks along the routes of security forces across Jammu and Kashmir. A video uploaded by the outfit was also shared with all concerned. It is as such suggested that security forces need to be put on alert to thwart any such attempt by terrorists”, read the input that was shared with the SFs across Jammu and Kashmir. In the video that was uploaded along threat message showed a truck carrying troops in Somalia blown up in a power IED blast. In the message, the JeM had warned similar type of blast in Jammu and Kashmir. A senior security officer said that this is a major security lapse as the input about the possible attack was generated only 48 hours before. He said that the highway is highly guarded and there seems to be a lapse.
Meanwhile, experts of the anti-terror commando force National Security Guard (NSG) and investigators of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have been sent to Jammu and Kashmir to join the probe into the terror attack in Pulwama, officials said on February 14, reports The New Indian Express. An NIA team with forensic experts is being sent to Srinagar to assist Jammu and Kashmir Police in forensic evaluation of the scene of the crime, a Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) official said.
Also, Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on February 14 assured the people of the country that the terror attack on a CRPF bus in Jammu and Kashmir, carried out by Pakistan-sponsored Jaish-e-Mohammed, will be avenged, reports The Times of India. In a statement, he said the Central Government is determined to foil the designs of those who want to disrupt peace through such a terror attack "sponsored and sheltered by Pakistan". "Jaish-e-Mohammed has carried out this terror attack. We assure the country that we will undertake whatever it takes to avenge this," he said.