New Delhi: On February 14, 2019, Pulwama witnessed one of the deadliest attacks on security personnel in Kashmir. As many as 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the attack. Since 2019, this day in India has been observed as Black Day. Let us look at the timeline of events that happened on February 14, 2019.
The Pulwama Convoy Attack: A Timeline
On February 14, 2019, a convoy of 78 vehicles with over 2,500 CRPF personnel left Jammu around 3:30 am. The convoy was travelling to Srinagar via NH 44 and planned to arrive before sunset.
Around 3:15 pm in Lethpora, an explosives-laden vehicle crashed into the convoy bus. This tragic attack killed about 40 CRPF personnel from the 76th Battalion and injured others. The injured were taken to the army base hospital in Srinagar.
Investigation and Accusations Following the Pulwama Tragedy
Adil Ahmad Dar, a 21-year-old from Gundibagh village in Pulwama, carried out the attack. His family last saw him in March 2018 when he rode away on a bicycle and did not come back. His family says that Dar became radicalised after Indian police beat him. He was arrested six times in two years for stone-pelting and for being suspected of helping the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is based in Pakistan. However, he was never formally charged with a crime or named in a police report.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sent a 12-member team to investigate the attack, working with the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Early investigations showed that the car used in the attack carried over 300 kilograms (660 lb) of explosives, including 80 kilograms (180 lb) of RDX, a powerful explosive, and ammonium nitrate.
It was likely that the explosives might have been stolen from a construction site. Initially, it was believed they were not smuggled across the border but later the statement could not be ruled out.
The NIA confirmed the identity of the suicide bomber through DNA samples from small pieces of the car. These samples matched with Adil Ahmad Dar’s father. However, after a year of investigating, the NIA could not find the source of the explosives. The charge sheet filed by the NIA in August 2020 named 19 people accused in the case.
On February 14, 2019, a suicide bombing targeting a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 40 personnel. The attack marked a significant escalation in the Kashmir conflict and is observed as a Black Day in India. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
