J&K: 40 CRPF jawans killed in Awantipora after JeM terrorist rams explosive-laden vehicle into their bus

Forty CRPF jawans were killed on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in. 

Dozens of people were injured in the attack. 

The bus the CRPF jawans had been travelling in was turned into a mangled heap of iron, and body parts could be seen strewn around the area. 

A CRPF official said the bus had been travelling in a convoy of some 70 vehicles.

He added that the convoy had been travelling from Jammu to Srinagar. 

Police said they have identified the terrorist who carried out Thursday's attack as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. And that he joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2018. 

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

ANI added that the Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message sent to the Kashmiri news agency GNS.

CRPF Director General RR Bhatnagar said there were 2,500 security personnel in the convoy. He added that an "investigation is underway" and the "injured being taken care of".

Zulfiqar Hassan, IG CRPF (Operations) added that the Jammu and Kashmir Police are investigating the attack. He added that the injured have been "shifted to hospital" and that a "post-blast analysis is being done at the spot". 

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Bhatnagar about the attack.  

The bus carrying the CRPF jawans was attacked on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama's Awantipora area, a police official told PTI.

Further details are awaited, he added. 

(With inputs from PTI)