Pulwama attack: India mourns Kashmir dead

A convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suiside bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district, Jammu & Kashmir. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and five injured on one of the deadliest terror attacks when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.
Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack that took place about 20 km from Srinagar.
A local man named Adil Ahmed Dar was identified as the attacker.

Million of mourners have been attending funerals across India for some of the security force personnel.
India has imposed a swathe of economic measures on Pakistan after the attack, including revoking Most Favoured Nation trading status and raising customs duty to 200%.
Although Jaish-e-Mohammad is based in Pakistan, Islamabad has denied any role in the attack.
Both India and Pakistan claim all of Muslim-majority Kashmir but control only parts of it.
Today morning also four Army personnel including a Major, who were killed in action during encounter between terrorists and security forces, in Pinglan area of Pulwama district, belonged to 55 Rashtriya Rifles. One civilian also has been killed in Pulwama, according to the Indian Media news report.
The terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district was not the handiwork of a single man but a group, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Vikram Sood said on yesterday.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had issued orders to withdraw security of five separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The President of India Ram Nath Kovind said the entire nation was grieving along with the bereaved families of the jawans killed in the attack. “On behalf of the entire country, I pay my tributes to the martyrs,” he said. Again he said “ I express gratitude towards our brave jawans and security forces,”.
Warning Pakistan that it cannot weaken India by orchestrating attacks such as the one on CRPF jawans in Pulwama, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those responsible will pay “a very heavy price”. In a hard-hitting speech, Modi said the “blood of the people is boiling” and forces behind the act of terrorism will be definitely be punished. “Security forces have been given complete freedom, Our neighbouring country, which has been isolated internationally, thinks such terror attacks can destabilise us, but their plans will not materialise,” Narendra Modi said.
Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan said “ Heartfelt condolences to the families of our valiant jawans. May the souls of our countrymen who laid their lives down for us rest in peace.”
Salman Khan told “My heart goes out for the Jawans of our beloved country and their families who lost their lives as martyrs to save our families”…
The sporting fraternity, including Indian Cricket Captain Virat Kohli, had joined the country in condemning the dastardly attack.
> Pratyusha Mukherjee, Journalist, India