18TH TERROR ATTACK IN MODI GOVT - CONGRESS
Onkareshwar Pandey
INDIAN OBSERVER POST
Srinagar, February 14, 2019: The Government of India has condemned in the strongest possible terms the cowardly terrorist attack on our brave security forces in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir earlier today (14 February 2019) in which more than 44 CRPF personnel were killed.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over the deadly attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, the Congress today pointed out that this was the "18th major terror attack under Modi rule".
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that a response was expected from the Modi government to the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which more than 44 CRPF personnel were killed.
Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Bhagwat said, "We have tolerated a lot and are still doing so, as seen from today's incident. They will get a reply (to the attack)," Bhagwat said."It is a cowardly act, we strongly condemn it. We expect action in response to this incident."
Pulwama was on the target of Pakistan backed terrorists for months. Around five weeks before today’s attack in Awantipora of Pulwama District in which at least 44 CRPF soldiers martyred, an encounter, had erupted between the Army and militants in Pulwama’s Tral area.
During the encounter, a two-storey house, where at least two militants were believed to be hiding, also caught fire and was gutted. And surprisingly, a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, who was reportedly hiding in the area, could not be traced on that day. One CRPF jawan was injured in the gunfight, according to media reports.It must be noted, that the Pakistan based terrorist Masood Azhar had warned India for a massive attack in Jammu and Kashmir in a video released on Nov 30, 2018.
Today, on Feb 14, 2019, in one of the worst terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers martyred and around 45 paramilitary forces personnel were also injured when terrorists blasted their convoy using IED at Lethpora / Awantipora of Pulwama district In Jammu and Kashmir.
Till date, Uri attack in September 2016 was considered to be the worst terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, but today's attack at Awantipora in Pulwama district of the state is even worse.
In the attack on the Uri military base in September 2016, JeM militants had killed 18 Army jawans and injured dozens of others.
Today, the bus carrying CRPF Jawans, that was the focus of the attack belongs to the 54th battalion of the force and had 44 personnel on board, officials said.
Various leaders including, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President, M Venkaih Naidu, union ministers, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, and Piyush Goyal and Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi have condemned the attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the attack, saying that sacrifices of brave security personnel shall not go in vain. PM Modi said he has spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other top officials regarding the situation in the wake of the attack in Pulwama.
The attack occurred on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in south Kashmir's Pulwama district around 3: 20 pm on Thursday. Terrorists triggered the terror attack when the convoy of more than 70 CRPF vehicles were plying through the Srinagar-Jammu highway. Terrorists rammed the explosive-laden car into the CRPF bus triggering a massive blast. The terrorists indiscriminately fired at the convoy after the blast, according to reports. The seriously wounded CRPF soldiers were shifted to Army's 92 base hospitals in Srinagar.
Pakistan based Terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
PMO and Union Ministry of Home Affairs are closely monitoring the situation. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has cancelled his scheduled visit to Bihar tomorrow and spoke to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, DG CRPF and the Home Secretary regarding the Pulwama attack. They have apprised him of the situation.
According to the CRPF, an IED blast occurred at around 3.30 pm upon a CRPF convoy which was on its way to Srinagar from Jammu. Two CRPF vehicles came under attack.
“The vehicles which came under attack were part of a convoy from Jammu to Srinagar. There were also reports of firing upon the vehicles,” a CRPF officer said.
“The fatalities could rise and there were several CRPF men inside the bus which was targeted by the militants,” CRPF said.
More than 2,500 CRPF personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed.
The number of personnel travelling back to the Valley was high as there was no movement on the highway for the last two to three days because of bad weather and other administrative reasons, they said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday after cancelling his programme in Bihar, officials has said.
Several top leaders and other mainstream politicians took to social media to condemn the attack.
"Attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama is despicable. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
Attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama is despicable. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of the brave martyrs. May the injured recover quickly.