Pulwama 2.0 averted as car bomb intercepted by police
Forces seize car laden with 45kg explosives, driver manages to flee the scene
SRINAGAR: A car carrying around 45kg concealed explosives was seized from Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said on Thursday, adding that the recovery prevented an attack similar to the one that left 40 paramilitary troopers dead in February 2019 and brought India and Pakistan on the brink of war.
Vijay Kumar, the inspector general of police (Kashmir), said they had human and technical intelligence inputs over the last week, indicating that Jaish-emohammad (JEM), which claimed responsibility for the 2019 Pulwama attack, and Hizbul Mujahideen were planning a big suicide attack using a car bomb.
In the evening, a patrol party directed a car to stop, but it sped away. The terrorist managed to flee into the forest, but forces found the bomb-laden vehicle and detonated it with the help of bomb disposal squads.
Kumar said the modus operandi was the same as in the 2019 car bomb attack in Pulwama. Authorities suspect Hizbul terrorist Adil, who also works with JEM, and Fauji bhai, a Pakistani JEM commander in Pulwama, were involved.
SRINAGAR: A car carrying around 45 kg concealed explosives was seized from Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the Union Territory police said on Thursday and added the recovery prevented an attack similar to the one that left 40 paramilitary troopers dead in February 2019 and brought India and Pakistan on the brink of war.
Vijay Kumar, the inspector general of police (Kashmir), said they had human and technical intelligence inputs over the last week, indicating that Jaish-emohammad (JEM), which claimed responsibility for the 2019 attack, and Hizbul Mujahideen were planning a big suicide attack using a car bomb.
“On Wednesday, [Jammu & Kashmir] police, Army and the CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force] established multiple nakas [barricades] after the leads about the attack. In the evening, a naka party directed a car to stop, but it sped away. At another naka, warning shots were fired on the vehicle. The car’s driver left the vehicle behind and fled towards a forest under the darkness of the night,’’ Kumar said.
He said the modus operandi used was the same as in the 2019 car bomb attack in Pulwama. Kumar said they suspect Adil of Hizbul Mujahideen, who also works with JEM, and Fauji bhai, a Pakistani JEM commander in Pulwama, were involved in the planning of the failed attack.
Investigators said the car had a fake number plate, which is an indication that the terrorists were planning to carry out a car bomb attack.
Jammu & Kashmir had strengthened security along the Srinagar-jammu national highway and other sensitive spots earlier this month amid multiple inputs about a possible car bomb attack. Pulwama is located along the highway.