Letpora blast; Toll reaches 27
srinagar: Twenty seven jawans were killed and 40 injured when a suicide bomber rammed a Scorpio car laden with 350 kg of explosives into a CRPF convoy in Awantipora town of Pulwama district on Thursday. This is one of the worst attacks since the 2001 Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly car bombing.
Though the official death toll stood at 20, multiple sources, including those in the CRPF control room, confirmed to News18 that 27 jawans were dead.
Sources said Adil Ahmad Alias Waqar, a resident of Pulwama, was the man driving the car that rammed the 55-seater CRPF bus. Such a car bomb suicide attack is happening after several years.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
As per initial reports, soon after the attack on the convoy, which was moving from Jammu to Srinagar, gunshots and grenade blasts were heard.
IG Police Kashmir Range SP Pani told News18 that the toll was feared to rise.
Condemning the attack, NC leader Omar Abdullah offered his condolences to the families of the bereaved.
Terrible news coming from the valley. A number of CRPF soldiers are reported to have been killed & injured in an IED blast. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. My prayers for the injured & condolences to the families of the bereaved. #Kashmir News18
