"Will Return And Build New Home," Soldier Killed In Pulwama Told Family

Ram Vakeel, a soldier who died in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, would have completed two decades with the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) in 2021.

The 40-year-old had promised that he would get a house built soon, his grieving family shared.

Fighting back tears, Ram Vakeel's wife Geeta said that he left for duty on February 10 and had promised to return soon.

"Before joining his duty, he promised that he will apply for leave, take a loan and get the house constructed," she said.

The soldier's family told NDTV that he and his wife were extremely concerned about the education of their three children.

Ram Vakeel had put in a lot of effort to get two of his children, a 12 year old and a 10 year old, admitted to the government-run Kendriya Vidyalaya in Etawah, about 40 km from the family home in Mainpuri.

Before his Kashmir posting, he was posted in Aligarh for a few years. He had also taken this elder son to football trials in Agra the last time he was home on vacation.

On Thursday, over 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and many others were critically injured after terrorists targeted a convoy with a car bomb in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A suicide bomber ripped into a large convoy of 78 CRPF buses with over 2,500 personnel travelling on the highway from Jammu to Srinagar. At Pulwama, the Scorpio SUV with 350 kg of explosives rammed two of the buses transporting CRPF personnel reporting to duty in Srinagar.

The government, in a strongly-worded statement, demanded that "Pakistan stopped supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory." The centre also appealed to the "international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council."

PM Modi said those behind the terror attack had made a "huge mistake" and would pay a "very heavy price".

Calling the attack despicable and dastardly, the PM said "The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain."

The United States also condemned the attack and directed Pakistan to "immediately end "support" and "safe haven" to all terror groups.