The Pulwama attack anniversary refers to February 14, which marks the anniversary of a deadly terrorist attack that occurred in Pulwama, a district in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. In this attack, a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel was targeted by a suicide bomber belonging to the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The attack resulted in the deaths of 40 CRPF personnel, making it one of the deadliest attacks on Indian forces in the region in decades. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed. Pulwama Attack Anniversary 2024: PM Narendra Modi Pays Homage to Soldiers Martyred in Pulwama Terror Attack, Says 'Their Sacrifice Will Always Be Remembered'.

On February 14, 2019, a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting more than 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar was travelling on National Highway 44. The convoy had left Jammu around 03:30 am and was carrying a large number of personnel due to the highway having been shut down for two days prior. The convoy was scheduled to reach its destination before sunset. Around 3:15 pm, a bus carrying security personnel was rammed by a car carrying explosives at Lethpora near Awantipora. It caused a blast that killed 40 CRPF personnel of the 76th Battalion and injured many others. The injured were moved to the army base hospital in Srinagar.

Indian investigations identified 19 accused. By August 2021, the main accused along with six others had been killed, and seven had been arrested. Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack. They also released a video of the assailant Adil Ahmad Dar, a 22-year-old from Kakapora who had joined the group a year earlier. Dar's family had last seen him in March 2018.

In a retaliatory strike, the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26, 2019, targeting terrorist camps. 12 Mirage 2000 jets of the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control and dropped bombs into Balakot, Pakistan.

On the anniversary of the Pulwama attack, people across the nation pay tributes at memorials and hold ceremonies to honour the memory of the fallen soldiers to express solidarity with their families. It also serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions and conflict in the region, particularly between India and Pakistan, as well as the persistent threat of terrorism.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 14, 2024 09:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).