Rajnath Singh to visit Srinagar on Friday over attacks that claimed over 30 soldiers

Srinagar | Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was supposed to visit Patna on Friday, has cancelled his trip and will go to Srinagar on Friday instead. This decision comes after a scathing attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district that saw about 30 CRPF soldiers martyred.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to CRPF director-general RR Bhatnagar, Governor Satyapal Malik and home secretary over the attack. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that it is closely monitoring the situation.

An official statement was released on the micro-blogging site Twitter by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Today’s dastardly attack on crpf in Pulwama (J&K) is extremely painful and disturbing. I bow to each and every CRPF jawan who has sacrificed his life in service to the nation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured: HM Shri @rajnathsingh

— गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) February 14, 2019

HM also spoke to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, DG CRPF and the Home Secretary regarding the Pulwama attack. They have apprised him of the situation. HM has cancelled his scheduled visit to Bihar tomorrow. MHA is closely monitoring the situation.

— गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) February 14, 2019

At least 30 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in, officials said.

The terror group has claimed responsibility for the incident, they said.

Police identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He joined the Jaish-Mohammed in 2018, they said.

The casualties are likely to go up.

Several people were injured in the terror attack, which reduced the bus to a mangled heap of iron.

The vehicle was blown up on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Awantipora area of the district, a police official said.