Srinagar: At least 44 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in, one of the worst terror strikes in the state in recent years, officials said.
More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force 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 on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora.
Police said the terrorist driving the suicide vehicle was Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama who joined the JeM in 2018. The casualties are likely to go up.
The terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack that took place about 30 km from Srinagar, they said.
Over 20 people were injured in the terror attack, which reduced the bus to a mangled heap of iron. Several other buses were damaged in the attack. Body parts could be seen strewn around the area.
“It was a large convoy and about 2,500 personnel were travelling in multiple vehicles. Some shots were also fired at the convoy,” DG (CRPF) RR Bhatnagar told reporters.
The convoy started from Jammu around 3.30 am and was supposed to reach Srinagar before sunset, officials said.
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. 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 belongs to the 76th battalion of the force and had 39 personnel on board, officials said.
CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in the Kashmir Valley Zulfiqar Hasan described it as a “vehicle-bound attack” and said Jammu and Kashmir Police has taken up the investigation.
Major attacks on security forces
26 August, 2017: Three Jaish terrorists storm District Police Lines, Pulwama, killing eight security personnel, before the assailants were shot dead.
29 November, 2016: Three terrorists storm Army artillery camp at Nagrota, killing seven soldiers, before the assailants were eliminated.
18 September, 2016: Four Pak terrorists storm an Army camp at Uri in Baramulla, killing 18 soldiers in sleep. The assailants were also killed. The incident led to reprisal surgical strikes inside the PoK by Indian Army.
25 June, 2016: Terrorists open indiscriminate firing on a CRPF bus, killing eight jawans at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
3 June, 2016: Terrorists target a CRPF bus at Pampore, killing two personnel before taking refuge in a government building. Two-day encounter ends with killing of three soldiers including two officers and the two assailants.
5 December, 2014: Six heavily-armed terrorists storm an Army camp at Mohra in Uri. Ten soldiers were killed in the gun battle with the intruders, who were all shot dead.
24 June, 2013: Terrorists ambush a bus carrying unarmed Army personnel at Hyderpora in Srinagar. Eight soldiers were killed in the attack.
19 July, 2008: Ten soldiers were killed when terrorists triggered an IED planted by the roadside at Narbal on Srinagar-Baramulla highway.
2 November, 2005: A suicide bomber blew up his car at Nowgam, near the private residence of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, killing three cops and six civilians.
20 July, 2005: A suicide car bomber blew his vehicle by ramming it into a vehicle of security forces. Three security force personnel and two civilians were killed.
24 June, 2005: Nine Army soldiers were killed in a car bomb triggered by terrorists outside Srinagar.
4 August, 2004: Nine CRPF jawans were killed in a terrorist attack on their camp at Rajbagh in Srinagar.
8 April, 2004: 11 persons died in a grenade attack by terrorists on a PDP rally at Uri in Baramulla district. The PDP was demanding opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road.
22 July, 2003: Eight soldiers, including a Brigadier, were killed in a terrorists attack on their camp at Akhnoor. Several other senior Army officers sustained injuries in the attack.
