The 2019 Pulwama terror incident claimed the lives of 40 members of the CRPF; view the timeline of events.
Tributes to the courageous hearts continue to flow in as the fourth anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack approaches across the country. Take a look at what happened on February 14, 2019, known as “Black February,” through this article.
One of the bloodiest assaults on Indian security troops in Kashmir was Pulwama. When an explosives-laden car rammed into a CRPF convoy during the 2019 Pulwama incident, up to 40 members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) perished. Since that time, India has designated February 14 as a “Black Day.”
Tributes to the courageous hearts continue to flow in as the country enters the fourth year since the Pulwama terror attack from all corners of the country.
Details of the Pulwama Attack:
Here is a timeline of what happened on February 14, 2019.
CRPF soldiers were moved through NH 44 from Jammu to Srinagar:
Around 3:30 am on February 14, 2019, a convoy of 78 cars carrying more than 2,500 members of the CRPF departed Jammu. The convoy was carrying members of the CRPF from Jammu to Srinagar on NH 44, and it was planned to arrive there before dusk.
A truck carrying explosives crashed into the CRPF convoy:
An explosives-packed truck rammed into the bus near Lethpora at 3:15 p.m., killing about 40 members of the 76th Battalion of the CRPF and injuring many more. The military base hospital in Srinagar received the injured men right away.
Behind Pulwama terror attack, Jaish-e-Mohammed:
The Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) quickly claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack. A video of Kakapora resident Adil Ahmad Dar, who joined the terrorist group in 2018, was also posted by the organisation.
The perpetrator was identified as Adil Ahmad Dar:
The culprit, a young man of 22, was recognised. When he left the house on a bicycle in March 2018 and never came back, his family last saw him.
His family claims that Dar turned radical after being physically assaulted by Indian police. He was reportedly detained six times in two years for stone-throwing and on suspicion of supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba, another militant organisation with its stronghold in Pakistan. He was never formally accused of a crime or included in a FIR, though.
There were 300 kg of explosives inside the vehicle.
A 12-person team was assembled by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) to look into the Pulwama assault. Together with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the team worked.
The vehicle that ploughed into the convoy in the Pulwama attack may have been carrying 300kg of explosives, according to preliminary investigations. The crew succeeded in identifying the suicide bomber but was unable to identify the location of the explosives. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged 19 people in August 2020 with carrying out the bombing at Pakistan’s direction.
The aftermath of the attack in Pulwama.
The murdered CRPF soldiers were given state burials in their respective hometowns. The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) was urged by India to place Pakistan on its “blacklist” on the same day that it revoked Pakistan’s most-favorable-nation status, increased customs duties on all goods imported into India from Pakistan by 200%, and revoked Pakistan’s most-favorable nation status.
India-wide demonstrations and candlelight marches were place, and a curfew was imposed in Jammu & Kashmir after violent disturbances there. Indian medical professionals postponed their trip to Pakistan to attend the 13th Association of Anaesthesiologists Congress.
Cricket games from the Pakistan Super League will no longer be televised, according to Eurosport India. Pakistani actors and musicians were barred from the Indian film and music industries by AICWA and IFTDA.
Fighting the militants:
In an anti-terrorism encounter operation that was carried out in the wee hours of February 18 in response to Indian intelligence inputs, a joint squad of the 55 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF, and Special Operations Group of India killed two terrorists and two sympathisers. In the battle with the insurgents, four security men from India lost their lives.
Abdul Rasheed Ghazi alias Kamran, a Pakistani national who is thought to be the attack’s planner and the commander of JeM, was one of the two terrorists that were murdered.
On February 26, India retaliated:
On February 26, in the wee hours, India attacked the JeM training facilities in Balakot. Twelve IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft flew beyond the line of control and struck JeM training facilities near Balakot. In the attack, India claimed to have killed between 300 and 350 militants.
War between Pakistan and India was imminent:
The Pakistan Air Force attempted a counter-airstrike on Indian military positions in Jammu and Kashmir the following day, but it was unsuccessful. Wing Commander Abhinanadan Varthaman, the pilot of an Indian MiG-21 that was hit during the aerial duel, was taken prisoner by Pakistan. He received the third-highest wartime heroism award from India, the Vir Chakra, when Pakistan freed him on March 1.
The incident was denounced by the international community:
The following nations denounced the attack: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, France, Hungary, Israel, Maldives, Nepal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, and United Kingdom. China and Turkey, however, also supported Pakistan’s anti-terrorism efforts.