KASHMIR ATTACK - OVER 40 CRPF PERSONNEL DEAD; WORST ATTACK IN 30 YEARS

Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel died and many injured on Thursday after a terrorist attack at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Reportedly, this is the worst attack in Kashmir in almost 30 years.

Since the Srinagar-Jammu highway had been shut for the last two days due to bad weather, many personnel were transported on Thursday at one go. Making use of this situation, terrorists triggered a car bomb. A Mahindra Scorpio carrying more than 350 kg of explosives rammed into a bus carrying 39 personnel.

Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack. According to sources, the car containing the explosives was driven by one Adil Ahmad Dar alias "Waqas Commando" who joined the group last year. Since 1989 there have been over 10 suicide attacks, but this is the second attack involving a car.

The Indian government condemned the attack and issued a strong-worded statement demanding 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." However, Pakistan strongly rejected the accusations and stated that they will not accept "any insinuation by elements in the Indian media and government that seek to link the attack to Pakistan without investigations".

The United States of America and the United Nations and many other countries condemned the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the sacrifices will not go in vain. Modi tweeted, "The attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama 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. May the injured recover quickly."

The highway stretch has been sanitised this morning. Upon inspection, authorities termed it as a "serious breach" of security. Photos showed charred remains on vehicles and human bodies strewn across next to blue military buses.