‘Valorous heroes’: PM Modi pays tributes on Pulwama attack's 4th anniversary

Pulwama terror attack: On this day in 2019, at least 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives after a suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives into the security force convoy. The attack was carried out by Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is led by Masood Azhar based in Bahawalpur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tributes to the 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack three years ago.

“Remembering our valorous heroes who we lost on this day in Pulwama. We will never forget their supreme sacrifice. Their courage motivates us to build a strong and developed India”, the prime minister tweeted.

On this day in 2019, at least 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives after a suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives into the security force convoy. The attack was carried out by Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is led by Masood Azhar based in Bahawalpur.

Security forces at the site of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019, in Srinagar.(Waseem Andrabi/HTFILE)

India avenged the Pulwama terror attack by carrying out airstrikes on Jaba Top in Balakot, destroying Jaish's terror training camps. Although the exact number of terrorists killed in the airstrikes is not known, more than 300 religious radicals were spotted at the training camp a day before the strikes based on high-resolution images taken there.

Even after four years, Masood Azhar continues to be free under protection by Pakistani deep state. Last year, the Centre had designated his brother Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir alias Ammar Alvi as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Alvi is a senior Jaish leader and was involved in the Pulwama terror attack.

Alvi, 39, has already been chargesheeted along with his brothers Masood Azhar and Abdul Rauf Asghar in August 2020 by the NIA. The agency has also named their nephew Umar Farooq who was sent to J&K to execute the attack. According to probe officials, Alvi was constantly guiding his nephew on the Pulwama conspiracy over the phone.