- By Sugandha Jha
- Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:19 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Three years back, the Pulwama terror attack killed 40 CRPF jawans in one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in the district of Jammu and Kashmir. Today marks the third anniversary of the attack on the Indian bravehearts whose martyrdom did not go in vain. It was successfully avenged by India by bombing several terror camps on Pakistani soil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the martyrs in Pulwama on its third anniversary.
"I pay homage to all those martyred in Pulwama on this day in 2019 and recall their outstanding service to our nation. Their bravery and supreme sacrifice motivates every Indian to work towards a strong and prosperous country," he tweeted.
Here's all you need to know about how events unfolded on that fateful day:
What happened?
On February 14, 2019, forty CRPF personnel were killed in the terrorist attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama.
A convoy of 78 vehicles transporting more than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Jammu to Srinagar was travelling on National Highway 44 when the incident took place.
Around 3:15 pm, a car carrying explosives rammed into the bus in which the CRPF personnel were travelling. It caused a blast that killed 40 CRPF personnel of the 76th Battalion on the spot and injured many others.
Who planted the attack?
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) or Jaish claimed the responsibility for the attack. It is a Pakistan-based terrorist group. After the incident, they also released a video of the assailant Adil Ahmad Dar who is a 22-year-old boy from Kakapora of Jammu and Kashmir. He had joined the group a year earlier.
How India responded
India launched a counter-terror airstrike against a JeM training camp on February 26, 2019. In the wee hours, the IAF jets bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camps in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. It killed a large number of terrorists, reportedly between 300 to 350.
Pakistan's failed attempt
The next day, on February 27, Pakistan Air Force in retaliation to India's Balakot airstrike tried to conduct a strike on Indian militry installlations in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the attack was thwarted by IAF. During the dog fight India's Wing Commander Abhinanadan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 through his MiG-21 Bison. However, his MiG 21 Bison jet was hit during the aerial combat, follwing which Wing Commander Varthaman was captured. He was later released on March 1. In 2021, he was conferred with the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest war time gallantry medal.
