Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PMO via PTI Photo
Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday paid tribute to the 40 paramilitary CRPF personnel who lost their lives in a terror attack on their convoy in Pulwama district, south Kashmir, on this day in 2019.
Each year, the sacrifice of the 40 CRPF soldiers in the Pulwama attack is remembered with deep reverence.
On February 14, 2019, a devastating suicide bombing targeted a CRPF convoy along NH44 near Lethpora in Pulwama, claiming the lives of 40 soldiers.
The attack, carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), caused a significant escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan.
In retaliation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out an airstrike on February 26, 2019, targeting JeM’s largest terror training camp in Balakot, Pakistan. This operation, named Operation Bandar, was the first air strike inside Pakistan since the 1971 war.
On the sixth anniversary of the attack, Prime Minister Modi shared a tribute on X, stating, “Homage to the courageous heroes we lost in Pulwama in 2019. The coming generations will never forget their sacrifice and their unwavering dedication to the nation.”
Airstrikes after attack befitting reply to terrorists: Amit Shah
Union Minister Amit Shah also paid his respects on X, writing in Hindi, “On behalf of the grateful nation, I pay my heartfelt tribute to the soldiers who were martyred in the cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama on this day in the year 2019. Terrorism is the biggest enemy of the entire human race and the whole world has united against it. Be it a surgical strike or an air strike, the Modi government is determined to completely destroy the terrorists by running a campaign with a 'zero tolerance' policy against them."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh honoured the fallen CRPF personnel, stating, “On this day in 2019, India lost our brave CRPF personnel in a gruesome terrorist attack in Pulwama. Their sacrifice for the nation will never be forgotten. I pay homage to them and offer unwavering support to their families. India stands united in honouring their valor and we remain resolute in our fight against terrorism.”
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, also paid tributes saying, “Heartfelt tribute to the courageous martyrs of the heinous Pulwama attack of 2019. Their supreme sacrifice in the service of motherland will forever be remembered. The courage & selfless commitment of our gallant heroes will continue to inspire generations.”