Srinagar: The toll from Thursday’s terror attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 45 as two more troopers succumbed to their injuries, officials said Friday. Besides, 38 others were wounded in the worst-ever terror attack in J&K.
“None among the 44 CRPF men travelling in the bus that took the full impact of the suicide bombing survived,” a CRPF official said. “An injured person in another bus has also succumbed taking the death toll to 45,” he informed. He also added that the injured, some of whose conditions are very critical are being treated at the Army base hospital in Badamibagh cantonment area here.
The attack happened even as an intelligence input had warned of its the possibility 48 hours earlier. It had said: “Chatter inputs reveal that JeM outfit has hinted to carry out IED attacks along the routes of security forces across Jammu and Kashmir. A video uploaded by the outfit has also been shared with all concerned. It is as such suggested that security forces need to be put on alert to thwart any such attempt by terrorists.”
Informed sources said the intelligence input was shared with all security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The video that was uploaded along with the threat message showed a truck carrying troops in Somalia blown up in a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast. In the message, the JeM had warned of a similar type of blast.
Experts of anti-terror commando force the National Security Guard (NSG) and investigators of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are expected to arrive here Friday to join the probe into the terror attack. The decision to send the teams was taken in view of the high number of casualties that the CRPF suffered.
A home ministry official had said Thursday in New Delhi that a NIA team with forensic experts was being sent here to assist Jammu and Kashmir Police in forensic evaluation of the scene of crime.
Agencies