2019 Pulwama attack

The2019 Pulwama attackoccurred on 14 February 2019, when a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel on theJammu–Srinagar National Highwaywas attacked by a vehicle-bornesuicide bomberatLethaporain thePulwama districtof the erstwhilestate of Jammu and Kashmir. The attack killed 40 IndianCentral Reserve Police Force(CRPF)personnel as well as the perpetrator—Adil Ahmad Dar—who was a localKashmiriyouth from the Pulwama district.The responsibility for the attack was claimed by thePakistan-basedIslamistterroristgroup,Jaish-e-Mohammed.Indiablamed neighbouringPakistanfor the attack, while the latter condemned the attack and denied having any connections to it.The attack dealt a severe blow toIndia–Pakistan relations, consequently resulting in the2019 India–Pakistan military standoff. Subsequently, Indian investigations identified 19 accused. By August 2021, the main accused along with six others had been killed, and seven had been arrested.
The Indian government ignored at least 11 intelligence inputs from multiple sources, including by the Indian intelligence agencyIntelligence BureauandJammu and Kashmir Police, before the attack.Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of the state at the time, later alleged in an interview withKaran Thaparthat the Prime MinisterNarendra Modiasked him to remain silent on security lapses by his administration.In April 2023, theHome Minister of IndiaAmit Shahrejected the allegations and said that the government has nothing to hide. He questioned the credibility of Malik's allegations and asked why he didn't raise these issues when he was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah asked why Malik raised these issues after leaving the government.
Kashmir is a disputed territory, claimed both by India and Pakistan with both countries administering part of the territory.Pakistan has sought to gain control of Indian-administered Kashmir.An insurgency began to proliferate in Indian-administered Kashmir in the late 1980s. Pakistan provided the insurgency with material support.Since 1989, about 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the Indian crackdown.According toTime,unrest in Kashmirgrew in 2016 after India killed a popular militant leader,Burhan Wani.A rising number of young locals fromIndian administered Kashmirhave joined the militancy.Many sources state that the majority of militants in Kashmir are now local, not foreign.In 2018 alone, the death toll included 260 militants, 160 civilians and 150 government forces.
Since 2015, Pakistan-based militants in Kashmir have increasingly taken to high-profile suicide attacks against the Indian security forces. In July 2015, three gunmenattackeda bus, and police station inGurdaspur. Early in 2016, four to six gunmenattackedthePathankot Air Force Station.In February and June 2016, the militantskillednine and eight security personnel respectively inPampore. In September 2016, four assailantsattackedanIndian Armybrigade headquarters inUrikilling 19 soldiers. On 31 December 2017, the Commando Training Centre at Lethpora was also attacked by militants killing five security personnel. These attacks took place in the vicinity of theJammu–Srinagar National Highway.
On 14 February 2019, a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting more than 2,500Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF)personnel fromJammutoSrinagarwas travelling onNational Highway 44. The convoy had left Jammu around 03:30ISTand was carrying a large number of personnel due to the highway having been shut down for two days prior. The convoy was scheduled to reach its destination before sunset.
AtLethporanearAwantipora, around 15:15 IST,a bus carrying security personnel was rammed by a car carrying explosives. It caused a blast which killed 40 CRPF personnel of the 76th Battalion and injured many others.The injured were moved to the army base hospital in Srinagar.
Pakistan-based militant groupJaish-e-Mohammedclaimed responsibility for the attack. They also released a video of the assailant Adil Ahmad Dar, 22, fromKakaporawho had joined the group a year earlier.Dar's family had last seen him in March 2018, when he left his house on a bicycle one day and never returned.Pakistan denied any involvement, though Jaish-e-Mohammed's leader,Masood Azhar, is known to operate in the country.
It was the deadliest terror attack on India's state security personnel in Kashmir since 1989.
The perpetrator was identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, a 22-year old fromKakapora.According to Dar's parents, Dar became radicalized after he was beaten by Indian police.Between September 2016 and March 2018, Adil Dar was reportedly arrested six times by Indian authorities.However, each time he was released without any charges.
Central Government had received at least 11 intelligence inputs, including from theIntelligence Bureauand Kashmir Police, days before the attack. Two days before the attack,Jaish-e-Mohammeduploaded a video of a suicide attack in Afghanistan and hinted at launching a similar attack in Kashmir. The Home Ministry refused to provide CRPF aircraft on the day of the attack and instead let the convoy take the road route, ignoring intelligence inputs.
TheNational Investigation Agency(NIA) dispatched a 12-member team to probe the attack, working with theJammu and Kashmir Police.
Initial investigations suggested the car was carrying more than 300 kilograms (660 lb) of explosives,including 80 kilograms (180 lb) ofRDX, ahigh explosive,andammonium nitrate.Lt Gen Hoodasaid that the explosives might have been stolen from a construction site. He initially said that it was not possible that they were smuggled from across the border, but later said that he could not rule it out.
National Investigation Agencywas able to establish and confirm the identity of suicide bomber as DNA samples from "meagre fragments of the car" used in suicide attack matched with Adil Ahmad Dar's father. However, even after a year of investigation, NIA was unable to trace the source of explosives.The charge-sheet filed by the NIA in August 2020 named 19 accused.
State funeralsof security personnel killed in the attack were held in their respective native places.Thegovernment of Punjabannouncedex gratiacompensation of₹12 lakh(US$14,000) each to the families of the killed security personnel from the state and a government job to thenext of kin.India revoked Pakistan'smost favoured nationstatus.The customs duty on all Pakistani goods imported to India were raised to 200%.The government of India urged theFinancial Action Task Force on Money Laundering(FATF) to put Pakistan on the blacklist. The FATF decided to keep it on the 'grey list' and gave Pakistan time till October 2019 to comply with the 27 conditions it had laid down in June 2018, when it was put on the 'grey list', with an attending caveat. If Pakistan failed to comply, it would be added to the blacklist.On 17 February, the state administration revoked security provisions for separatist leaders.
Protests,bandhsand candle light marches were held across India.There were violent protests in Jammu resulting in a curfew being imposed starting 14 February. The Indian community in the United Kingdom held protests outside the Pakistan High Commission inLondon.A delegation of Indian doctors cancelled their visit to Pakistan for the 13th Association of Anaesthesiologists Congress, organised by theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, inLahoreon 7 March.Indian broadcasterDSportsaid it would no longer broadcast Pakistan Super League cricket matches.TheAll Indian Cine Workers Associationannounced a ban on Pakistani actors and artists in theIndian film industry, and stated that strong action would be taken on any organisation violating it.TheIndian Film and Television Directors Associationalso announced a ban on Pakistani artists in films and music produced in India; the president of the organisation threatened to "vandalise" thesetsof any Indian film production with Pakistani artists.
On 20 February 2019, Pakistani prisoner Shakarullah, who was serving a life term in India's Jaipur Central Jail underUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, was stabbed and beaten to death by four other inmates.India claimed that Shakarullah was allegedly killed in a brawl among the inmates over television volume. Pakistan claimed that he was killed in retaliation of the Pulwama incident.
Following intelligence inputs, in the early morning hours of 18 February, a joint team comprising 55Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF andSpecial Operations Groupof India killed two terrorists and two supporters in an anti-terrorism encounter operation in the ensuing manhunt for the perpetrators inPulwama. One of them, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi alias Kamran, was identified as a Pakistani national and was considered the mastermind of the attack and a commander of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).In addition, local JeM recruit Hilal Ahmed, along with two sympathisers who housed Ghazi and Ahmed to evade capture, were also shot dead in the encounter. Four security personnel were killed in the gunfight.
Kashmiristudents living in other parts of India faced a backlash after the attack, including violence and harassment,and eviction from their homes.In response, many Indians offered to house Kashmiris who may have been evicted.
It was reported that number of Kashmiris fleeing from the rest of India had reached "hundreds".Jammu and Kashmir Students Organisation reported that 97% of Kashmiri students inDehradunhad been evacuated.Two Indian colleges in Dehradun announced that no new Kashmiri students will receive admission.One of those colleges, Alpine College, suspended its dean, who is a Kashmiri, after some groups called for him to be fired.
Tathagata Roy, the governor of the Indian stateMeghalaya, tweeted support for aboycottof "everything Kashmiri".Union MinisterRavi Shankar Prasaddisagreed with this view.A Kashmiri merchant was beaten inKolkata; the attack was condemned byWest Bengalchief ministerMamata Banerjee.
Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh said they had asked affected states to protect students."Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministerOmar Abdullahmet withRajnath Singhseeking assistance.
On 26 February, twelveMirage 2000jets of theIndian Air Forcecrossed theLine of Controland dropped bombs into Balakot, Pakistan.India claimed that it attacked a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp and killed a large number of terrorists, reported to be between 300 and 350.Pakistan claimed that they quickly scrambled jets to intercept the IAF jets, who dropped their payloads to quickly return over the Line of Control.
In an ensuing dogfight between Indian and Pakistani jets, an IndianMiG-21was shot down over Pakistan andits pilotcaptured. Pakistan released the pilot on 1 March.
On 5 March, Pakistan arrested 44 members of various groups, including the Jaish-e-Muhammad. Some of those arrested had been named by India in a dossier it gave to Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.Pakistan said those arrested will be held for at least 14 days, and if India provided further evidence they would be prosecuted.Among those arrested were relatives of JeM leaderMasood Azhar, including his son Hamad Azhar and his brother Abdul Rauf.
By August 2021, Indian security forces had killed seven of the accused, including Saifullah, while seven had been arrested.
IndianPrime MinisterNarendra Modicondemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that a strong response will be given to the terror attack.India blamed Pakistan for the attack.BBC Newshas said that the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in the bombing "directly links" Pakistan to the attack, while also pointing out that Jaish-e-Mohammed had attacked Pakistani military targets in the past.It is widely accepted among security analysts that Jaish-e-Mohammed is the creation of Pakistan'sInter-Services Intelligence.Pakistan banned the group in 2002,but it has resurfaced under different names and retains ISI's support.The New York Timesquestioned the nature of the link to Pakistan, pointing out that the bomber came from Indian-administered Kashmir and the explosives may also have been locally procured.
The Indian Finance MinisterArun Jaitleyhas said that India would completely isolate Pakistan in the diplomatic community.
Pakistan denied the allegation of a link to the attack,and Pakistani foreign ministerShah Mahmood Qureshicondemned the bombing.Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan's federal information minister, said that Pakistan was taking action against Jaish-e-Muhammad and that Pakistan would be able to assist India in taking action against terrorist groups.The Nation, a Pakistani newspaper, called the assailant a "freedom fighter" who eliminated members of an "occupying force".Pakistan and India both recalled their ambassadors for "consultations" in a tit-for-tat move.
On 19 February 2019, Pakistani Prime MinisterImran Khansaid that providing safe haven to terrorists was not in Pakistan's interest.He asked for proof of Pakistani involvement and warned India that any military response would be met with retaliation. Indian Ministry of External Affairs responded by criticising him for not condemning the attack and not offering any condolences for the victims. It said that claims by Adil Ahmad Dar and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed was sufficient proof. It said that promise of investigation was unconvincing due to a lack of progress inMumbaiandPathankot attackinvestigations.In response to Indian criticism, the newspaperDawnpointed out that Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi had expressed sympathies with the victims soon after the attack.
Following the attack on the Indian territory, the producers of the Indian Hindi films, includingNotebook,Kabir SinghandSatellite Shankar, decided not to release the films in Pakistan.
Former Indian cricket players andBoard of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) called for the boycott on the 2019 World Cup group match fixture betweenIndiaandPakistanwith raising concerns on banning Pakistan cricket team from playing in the2019 Cricket World Cuptournament.However, after conducting a press meet in Dubai, theInternational Cricket Council(ICC) rejected BCCI's statement regarding banning Pakistan from the World Cup and assured that the scheduled match will go ahead as planned despite theongoing standoff between the two nations.
On 8 March 2019, theIndia national cricket teamwore camouflage military caps in tribute to the CRPF personnel killed in the attack duringthe third ODIagainstAustraliaatRanchi. The players also donated their match fees to theNational Defence Fund. ThePakistan Cricket Boardwrote to the ICC to protest the gesture. The ICC stated that BCCI had asked for, and received, permission to wear the caps.
TheUnited Statescondemned the attack and added it would work with India in counterterrorism efforts. It asked Pakistan to stop sheltering terrorists and urged it to cooperate with the investigation and punish those responsible.Pakistan said it was ready to cooperate with such an investigation.A statement from theUS Department of Statenoted that Pakistan-basedJaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) had claimed responsibility for the attack.Bangladesh,Bhutan,China,France,Hungary,Israel,Maldives,Nepal,Russia,Saudi Arabia,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Turkey,theUnited Arab Emirates,and theUnited Kingdomcondemned the attack, as did theUnited Nations Secretary-General.China and Turkey also defended Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism.China placed a temporary block on aUN Security Councilresolution following the attack, which was backed by all other permanent members of the council, to designate JeM leaderMasood Azharas a global terrorist.
Iran's Deputy Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchimet with India'sExternal Affairs MinisterSushma Swarajand referring to both the 2019 Pulwama attack and the2019 Khash–Zahedan suicide bombing, he stated that Iran and India would work together to prevent future attacks.
TheIndian cricket teampaid tribute to the 40 soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack by wearing the camouflage caps instead of the usual sky blue team India cap, during the thirdOne Day Internationalmatch with Australia inRanchi.Pakistan objected to this gesture and Pakistani Information MinisterFawad Chaudhryand Foreign MinisterShah Mahmood Qureshicalled theInternational Cricket Council(ICC) to ban the Indian team for allegedly mixing cricket with politics.After a complaint from thePakistani Cricket Board,The ICC clarified that the Indian team had requested and was granted permission to wear the camouflage caps as a part of fundraising drive and to pay tribute to the soldiers killed in the attack.