Srinagar: At least 25 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in, officials said.
The terror group has claimed responsibility for the incident, they said.
A number of others have been left injured in the first major attack on the security forces in the last three years. There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties. While officials said death toll is 25, some media reports have claimed that as many as 28 CRPF troopers have been killed in the attack. The death toll is likely to go further up, the reports said.
The vehicle was blown up on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Awantipora area of the district, a police official said. Police identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He joined the Jaish-Mohammed in 2018, they said.
In the wake of the Awantipora attack, Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to DG CRPF RR Bhatnagar to take stock of the situation. The deadly attack is being condemned by leaders from all parties.
"I’m deeply disturbed by the cowardly attack on a #CRPF convoy in J&K in which 10 of our brave men have been martyred and many others wounded. My condolences to the families of our martyrs. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured", Congress president Rahul Gandhi said soon after 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. #Kashmir", former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
Calling for the end to this "madness" ormer J&K CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said, "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?"
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