Attack on Indian police leaves 38 dead

Massive car bomb was described as worst strike on security in decades

At least 38 paramilitary police officers were killed by a massive car bomb in Indian-controlled Kashmir in the worst attack on security personnel since the start of the insurgency in the disputed region three decades ago. The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. local time, police officials said, as a security convoy of 70 vehicles travelled down a major highway toward the city of Srinagar.

An explosive-laden vehicle driven by a suicide bomber rammed into a bus carrying dozens of paramilitary personnel, said Sanjay Sharma, a spokesperson for India’s Central Reserve Police Force.

The killings will inflame tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which both claim the Himalayan territory of Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of sheltering and supporting militants that cross into Indian-controlled territory to carry out attacks against Indian rule.

Kashmir is part of India’s only Muslim-majority state. Since 1989, militants have waged attacks against Indian forces in Kashmir, fighting either for the territory’s independence or its merger with Pakistan.

Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Army of Mohammed, a militant group that seeks to merge Indian-held Kashmir with Pakistan, claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack. Based in Pakistan, the group is led by a radical cleric named Masood Azhar.

The United States officially labelled Army of Mohammed a terrorist organization nearly two decades ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking reelection in polls later this spring, called the attack “despicable” in a post on Twitter.