New Delhi: As many as 40 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost their lives in a deadly strike by a suicide bomber in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14 exactly two years ago. India observes the second anniversary of the deadly terror attack today and remembers the sacrifice of the brave men.
A 22-year-old suicide attacker, identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, drove a Maruti Eeco through one of the alleyways onto the highway and rammed the IED-laden car into the CRPF convoy. The bus blew up reducing to a mangled heap of metal and as many as 40 troopers were killed. It was the bloodiest attack the Valley had seen in its 30-year-old insurgency period.
Around 78 buses carrying 2,500 personnel was moving from Jammu towards Srinagar.
Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed took responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack despite repeated denials from Pakistan.
The explosives used in the attack were found to be ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin and RDX after a forensic investigation. The investigation also confirmed the identity of the suicide bomber through DNA matching with that of his father.
Following the attack, India carried out air strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot 12 days after the February 14 attack to bomb out the Jaish camp in the woods.
A memorial with names of all 40 jawans killed in the Pulwama attack was inaugurated on February 14, 2020 at CRPF’s Training Centre at Lethpora camp in Pulwama. The memorial is inscribed with the names of all the 40 troopers along with their photographs and the motto of the CRPF — “Seva and Nishtha” (Service and Loyalty).
