"VAN" (J & K Bureau) :: At least 18 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and over 40 injured after terrorists targeted a convoy with a car bomb at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district today. Initial reports suggested that the vehicle used by the terrorists was a Mahindra Scorpio bearing more than 350 kg of explosives.
Thirteen of the injured are said to be in a critical condition, and have been moved to the army base hospital in Srinagar. Terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sources of Home ministry said that terrorists triggered the car bomb while the convoy of over 70 CRPF vehicles was plying through the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Goripora area. One of the buses bore the brunt of the explosion. The stretch on which the incident occurred was largely believed to be sanitised of terror activities, and authorities have termed it as a "serious breach" of security.
The affected bus reportedly belonged to the 76th Batallion of the CRPF, and it was carrying as many as 39 personnel.
Union Minister General VK Singh lashed out at the terrorists who had carried out the attack. "As a soldier and a citizen of India, my blood boils at the spineless and cowardly attacks. Eighteen bravehearts from CRPFIndia laid down their lives in Pulwama. I salute their selfless sacrifice & promise that every drop of our soldier's blood will be avenged," he tweeted. The home ministry has termed it as a "possible suicide attack", but there is no confirmation on the exact manner in which the Kashmir terrorist attack was executed.

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