India
Jaish terrorists had an inkling of the troop movement; they had planned the attack in advance. As soon as the CRPF bus came near a car laden with IED at around 2.15 pm, the terrorist triggered the blast, and began firing at the vehicle
Srinagar: A terrorist of Jaish-e-Mohammed hit a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans with an explosive-laden vehicle In Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday, killing at least 40 jawans. A police officer gave this information, adding that the Jaish has taken responsibility of the attack.
The police have identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmed Dar of Pulwama's Kakapora. Ahmed had joined Jaish-e-Mohammed last year.
The number of casualties is, unfortunately, expected to rise. About 50 civilians were injured in the blast too. The explosion was so powerful that the parts of the bus got scattered along with carcasses across a large area.
A police officer said that the blast happened in the Awantipora area on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
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The martyred soldiers belonged to 54 Battalion of the CRPF.
According to officials, terrorists exploded their convoy using an IED in the Goripora area of Pulwama's Awantipora this afternoon.
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Senior Jammu and Kashmir officials said the IED was planted in a car on the road. As soon as the CRPF bus carrying 20 soldiers came near it at around 2:15 PM, the terrorist triggered the blast.
The accomplices of the terrorist then opened fire on the vehicle, which was going towards Srinagar from Jammu.
Terrorists had an idea about the troop movement. They had planned the attack in advance. As per reports, nearly 2,500 jawans were part of the 70-vehicle CRPF contingent.
The deadly attack came just a day after two terrorists were killed by security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam.
The casualties are all being reported by the local police. A police team is on the spot for a preliminary inquiry into the blast that occurred near the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The CRPF has not issued a statement officially as of now.
Sources in the police say that the number of soldiers, as well as civilians, who have fallen victims to the terror attack, could be much higher, given the severity of the explosion.
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