Nearly 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in Pulwama terror attack (PTI)
The blast in Pulwama district's Awantipora area, which targetted a convoy of around 2,500 CRPF jawans, was heard 10-12 km away, the residents of the area told news agency PTI. Nearly 40 soldiers have been killed in the blast, whereas scores have been injured, in what is the worst attack ever on security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. The vehicle used by the terrorists was a Mahindra Scorpio which had more than 350 kg explosives, reports said.
The car that rammed a CRPF bus was driven by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad's terrorist Adil Ahmad Dar, officers said. A resident of Kakapora, he had joined the terror outfit last year.
The body parts of the terrorist and the soldiers were strewn on the Jammu-Kashmir highway. It would take some time to identify them, officials told the news agency.
The convoy had around 78 vehicles.
Soon after the explosion, locals started to running to find shelter. The shopkeepers a market near the blast site closed their shops and fled the spot.
The National Investigation Agency will probe the attack along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will also visit Srinagar tomorrow to review the situation.
"We completely understand our responsibilities and want to assure the people of the country that we would take whatever action is necessary regarding the incident," Mr Singh told news agency ANI.
This is the worst terror attack in Kashmir in decades. On October 1, 2001, three terrorists had rammed a Tata Sumo loaded with explosives into the main gate of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar -- killing 38 people.
With inputs from agencies