Pulwama terror attack first anniversary: 40 CRPF jawans were killed in the dastardly attack
Pulwama terror attack first anniversary: Friday, February 14 marks 1st anniversary of gruesome Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans. As nation mourns and honours the supreme sacrifice of our soldiers, the CRPF has decided to inaugurate a memorial to respect and commemorate memories of jawans who had to pay the ultimate price. The memorial has been erected at CRPF's Lethpora camp near the site where the terror attack took place. On February 14, 2019, a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed explosive-filled vehicle on a bus ferrying CRPF jawans. The bus was part of the CRPF convoy.
"It is a way to pay homage to the brave jawans who lost their lives in the attack," Additional Director General of CRPF Zulfiquar Hasan said on Thursday here after a visit to the site where the memorial has been erected.
The names of all the 40 personnel along with their pictures will be part of the memorial along with the moto of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) -- 'Seva and Nishtha' (Service and Loyalty).
"It definitely was an unfortunate incident and we have learnt our lessons now. We were always extra alert during our movement but now an extra layer of alertness has been added to it," Hasan told PTI here.
"We fight with extra vigour during an encounter with terrorists and that is why we were able to eliminate the entire Jaish-e-Mohammed commanders immediately after the attack on our jawans," he said.
While he refused to spell out the precaution that is taken during troop movements in the aftermath of the February 14 attack, officials in the security establishment said the movement of troops is now done in coordination with other security forces and the army.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had also allowed the CRPF to carry its troops by air to avoid the possibility of any such attack.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had imposed a ban on plying of private vehicles on two days in a week to facilitate movement of troops. The order was later rescinded after the situation became normal.
The process of bullet-proofing of vehicles carrying the troops was expedited and more and more bunker-type vehicles were seen on roads carrying the jawans.
The memorial has been set up inside a CRPF camp adjacent to the place where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Adeel Ahmed Dar, driving an explosive-laden car, blew himself next to a convoy of security forces killing the 40 personnel.
Almost all the conspirators behind the dastardly attack have since been killed with the last one being Qari Yasir, the self-styled chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, who was killed last month.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read | Truck driver ferrying JeM militants cousin of Pulwama suicide bomber: DGP Dilbag Singh
Watch | Drug business sponsors terrorism: Amit Shah at BIMSTEC conference
