Pulwama Attack: Death toll 37, India withdraws Pakistan's MFN status

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Pulwama Attack: Death toll 37, India withdraws Pakistan's MFN status

Government sources said top security officials made a presentation on the incident

Friday February 15, 2019 11:30 AM, ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: A high level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Modi on Friday morning met to take a call on the next course of action and look at options even as the death toll in the Pulwama terror attack rose to 37.

Government sources said top security officials made a presentation on the incident and the overall security situation in the state.

Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were present at the meeting.

"CCS expressed its condolences to families, a detailed assessment of the incident was also taken", Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after the meeting.

He also said that the Most Favoured Nations status (MFN) to Pakistan has been withdrawn.

As many as 37 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 decade.

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.

The attack has been condemned by all national leaders including PM Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former chief ministers of J&K Omar Abdullah and Mahbooba Mufti.

Russian President Putin and White House also issued statement to condemn the attack.

"The United States calls on Pakistan to end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil, whose only goal is to sow chaos, violence, and terror in the region", the White House said in a statement.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called the attack a matter of "grave concern". But in a brief statement, it added, "We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian government and media circles that seek to link the attack to the State of Pakistan without investigations."

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