Major terror strike averted in Pulwama

Published : May 28, 2020 13:32 IST

IGP Vijay Kumar addressing a press conference about the averted IED blast in Pulwama district, in Srinagar on May 28.

IGP Vijay Kumar addressing a press conference about the averted IED blast in Pulwama district, in Srinagar on May 28.

A possible repeat of the Pulwama terror strike of February 2019 was averted as the Jammu & Kashmir police intercepted a white Hyundai Santro car moving about with over 20 kilograms of IED explosives on the night of May 27. A joint team of 44 Rashtriya Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the State police recovered the car from Ayengund area of Rajpora in South Kashmir on May 28. The car had a fake registration number and was carrying heavy explosives in a drum on the rear seat. A bomb disposal squad destroyed it and many houses in the area also got damaged in the powerful explosion.

The car was signalled to stop when it was intercepted, but it tried to cross the police barricades before the driver got out and fled. IGP Vijay Kumar told the media: “The security forces opened fire. [But] The driver managed to escape, leaving behind the car laden with the IED.” He said that they had received intelligence reports about a possible attack and “were looking for a vehicle with IED since yesterday [May 27]”.

DGP Dilbagh Singh added: “It [the car] was kept under watch for the night. People in nearby houses were evacuated and the vehicle was destroyed on-site by the bomb disposal squad as moving it would have been a serious threat.”

The police had got credible input earlier that an explosive-laden car was going to be used for a terror strike. Following the input, various teams were formed to cover all possible routes.

In February 2019, Pulwama saw a similar attack in which an explosive laden car smashed into a CRPF bus at Lethpora, Pulwama, killing 40 CRPF personnel.

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