The Phulwama terrorist attack is said to be the worst in several decades. Opposition leaders stand with the government in these dark times to handle India’s security issue and deliver justice to the families that are bereaved.
The New Leam Staff
The recent terrorist attack that has taken place in India has shaken up the nation and become a major reason for concern ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, 2019. On 14th February, a convoy of vehicles that was carrying a large number of security personnel through the Jammu Srinagar Highway was attacked by a vehicle carrying explosives. The investigation carried out, reveals that the attack was carried out by a vehicle-bound suicide bomber. The attack took place near Avantipora in Phulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The massive attack had led to the deaths of 40 members of the CRPF force and the attacker himself.
It was later that the Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. This is one of the worst attacks in decades. The initial investigations had revealed that the Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber named Adil Ahmad Dar had rammed into one of the CRPF buses with his SUV Scorpio that had carried explosives amounting to more than 350 kg of explosives. But latest findings are revealing that the suicide-bomber carried explosives in a sedan that had RDX and blew up to more than 150 meter radius. The bomber had not rammed the bus but certainly had detonated the explosives close to the bus. The impact of the attack was so hard that one of the bodies was flung more than 80 meters away. The experts have revealed that the explosives had been designed in a way that their impact reached far and wide and had the ability to penetrate armour. The bus had been reduced to steel parts and the human remains were scattered all across this highway.
What is not investigated at the moment is how the attacker managed to get hold of the RDX and who enabled him to carry out the operation. What is also to be seen is how did managed to gain access to this highway that had been sanitised before the CRPF convoy began its journey. It is being estimated that the relations between India and Pakistan- which are already terrible will become tenser following the attack. The Indian government is under the pressure of showing that it will take effective measures to fix responsibility for the attack ahead of the 2019 elections.
The status of the minorities and the issue of Kashmir have continued to remain a contested theme between the two countries from time immemorial. Since the attack nations from across the globe are sending their sympathy for India. Statements of regret and condolence were expressed by PM of Nepal and top leadership of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Russia, Saudi Arabia, EU, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan among others. The US state department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino noted that the Jaish-e-Muhammad and other terrorist bodies that reside in the region must be dealt with adequately and all the countries should uphold their responsibilities in pursuing the UN Security Council that a particular nation shall not turn into a safe haven for terrorist, he however did not utter the name Pakistan. She also added that this terrorist attack would strengthen US-India’s collective war against terrorism. The UN also issued a statement condemning the attack and supported India.
In response to the attack, India has decided to finally withdraw the non-discriminatory market status it had granted to Pakistan in 1996 and this was most commonly named ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status. It is believed that although the withdrawal of the MFN will have little economic implications but it will certainly be seen as an important diplomatic gesture. Most Opposition parties have said that they are together in this moment of crisis and they are supporting the government in efforts to curb terrorism in the nation.
