The death toll in a car bomb attack in Awantipora in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has increased to 40 people, all of them officers of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the ANI news agency reported, citing the state governor's aide
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2019) The death toll in a car bomb attack in Awantipora in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has increased to 40 people, all of them officers of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the ANI news agency reported, citing the state governor's aide.Earlier in the day, it was reported that at least 18 people had been killed in the attack.
The blast of an improvised explosive device occurred at around 03:15 p.m. local time (09:45 GMT), when a police convoy of about 70 vehicles with around 2,500 personnel was moving from Jammu to Pulwama district, the agency said.
Shots were heard at the scene after the blast, it added.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which used to perpetrate attacks in the Jammu and Kashmir state, is affiliated with Taliban movement and Al-Qaeda terrorist organization (banned in Russia) and aims to separate Kashmir from India and to merge it into neighboring Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region that has been disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947 when both countries gained independence from the British Empire. The two countries have gone through three wars over the region, but the conflict has not been resolved. The unstable situation in the region has led to the emergence of extremist groups.
