<p>A major tragedy was averted in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday after security forces recovered 52 kg of explosives at a spot close to Srinagar-Jammu national highway and also near to the site of February 14, 2019 attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed.</p>.<p>In a statement, an army spokesperson said that in a search operation at 8 am today, at Karewa area of Gadikal, Pulwama, a Syntex tank that was buried with 52 kgs of explosives, was recovered.</p>.<p>“There were 416 packets of explosives with each packet of 125 gm. Subsequently on further search in another such Syntex tank 50 detonators were recovered,” he said.</p>.<p>The location in Karewa is very close to the national highway and just nine kilometres of Letapora, where a local Kashmiri fidayeen (suicide) militant Adil Ahmed rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into a paramilitary bus they were travelling in on the highway on February 14 last year.</p>.<p>In the worst casualties suffered by the security forces in peacetime operations, 40 CRPF personnel were killed and several others wounded.</p>.<p>Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack and released a video clip of the suicide bomber which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the audacious attack in Lethpora, about 30 km from here.</p>.<p>Sources said since that dreadful incident, security forces have bettered their capability for training, bettered in terms of equipment, tactics, mobility and navigation which has ensured no such attacks were repeated.</p>.<p>They said even though frequent inputs keep on coming that militants may target security forces convoys on the highway but given the changed strategy and the security drills the force has adopted since last February, “it won’t be a cakewalk for them (militants) now.”</p>
<p>A major tragedy was averted in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday after security forces recovered 52 kg of explosives at a spot close to Srinagar-Jammu national highway and also near to the site of February 14, 2019 attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed.</p>.<p>In a statement, an army spokesperson said that in a search operation at 8 am today, at Karewa area of Gadikal, Pulwama, a Syntex tank that was buried with 52 kgs of explosives, was recovered.</p>.<p>“There were 416 packets of explosives with each packet of 125 gm. Subsequently on further search in another such Syntex tank 50 detonators were recovered,” he said.</p>.<p>The location in Karewa is very close to the national highway and just nine kilometres of Letapora, where a local Kashmiri fidayeen (suicide) militant Adil Ahmed rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into a paramilitary bus they were travelling in on the highway on February 14 last year.</p>.<p>In the worst casualties suffered by the security forces in peacetime operations, 40 CRPF personnel were killed and several others wounded.</p>.<p>Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack and released a video clip of the suicide bomber which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the audacious attack in Lethpora, about 30 km from here.</p>.<p>Sources said since that dreadful incident, security forces have bettered their capability for training, bettered in terms of equipment, tactics, mobility and navigation which has ensured no such attacks were repeated.</p>.<p>They said even though frequent inputs keep on coming that militants may target security forces convoys on the highway but given the changed strategy and the security drills the force has adopted since last February, “it won’t be a cakewalk for them (militants) now.”</p>
