IED blast on Srinagar-Jammu highway, CRPF jawans injured: LIVE UPDATES

US Ambassador to India issues statement on the terror attack in Pulwama:

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik speaks to Republic TV and says:

Pakistan is 100% behind this attack. The amount of explosive that has been used could not have been procured in the local market. 

We will give a tough response. The government will not lie low. 

Let me tell you they are frustrated because stone-pelting has gone down and recruitment has also gone down.

Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee tweets on the Pulwama terror attack: 

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will hold a meeting on Friday morning.

Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji has expressed his solidarity with India following the terror attack in Pulwama

Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid, expresses his solidarity with the families of the martyred CPRF jawans. 

Russian and Bhutan government have also expressed their sympathies for India and families of CRPF jawans who were martyred on Thursday in Pulwama.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has released a statement condemning the terror attack in Pulwama.

The Goverment of India condemns in the strongest possible terms  the cowardly terrorist attack on our brave security forces in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir earlier today (14 February 2019).

This heinous and despicable act  has been perpetrated by  Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based and supported terrorist organisation proscribed by the United Nations and other countries.  This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been given full freedom by Government of Pakistan  to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity. 

The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security. We are equally resolved to fight against the menace of terrorism. We  demand that  Pakistan stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory and dismantle the infrastructure operated by terrorist outfits to launch attacks in other countries. 

We strongly reiterate our appeal to all members of the international community to  support the proposal to list terrorists, including JeM Chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. 

We express our sincere condolences to the family members of our fearless security personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Goa CM and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar terms the terror attack in Pulwama as cowardly.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs - India, has condemned the terrorist attack in Pulwama.

"I condemn in the strongest terms the vile attack that has just struck India. I express my condolences to the families of fallen soldiers and my deep solidarity with the Government and people of India.

France has always been and will always be alongside India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms. I call on each state to effectively combat terrorist networks and their funding channels and to prevent the cross-border movement of terrorist groups, such as Jaish-e-Mohamed, who has claimed responsibility for this attack."

UN General Secretary, António Guterres, has condemned the terror attack in Pulwama.

Australian government has expressed its solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism and condemned the terror attack which has resulted in the death of 44 CRPF jawans.

The German government has expressed its condolences to the families of the martyred CRPF jawans.

Update from CRPF at 12:07 am:

37 personnel of CRPF attained martyrdom. 5 personnel injured are being treated in 92 Base Hospital.

An IED blast occurred upon a bus of 54 Battalion CRPF part of Up convoy from Jammu to Srinagar at 2:15 pm. Some reports of grenade lobbying and firing upon vehicles of 35 Battalion and 179 Battalion also coming in.

Terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has claimed the responsibility for the IED blast on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Visuals from the attack site show that the severity of the attack was very high.

IG CRPF has confirmed to Republic TV that there were at least 20 personnel aboard the vehicle that was attacked.

Eight CRPF personnel have been killed in the IED blast in Pulwama, with the casualties likely to go up, says news agency PTI quoting officials

Twelve CRPF personnel have been martyred in the terrorist attack. Thirteen others are injured.

There were 35 personnel aboard the vehicle that was attacked.

CRPF sources say it is the worst attack on the forces in recent times. 

Former J&K CM and NC leader Omar Abdullah tweets about the terror attack in Pulwama.

J&K Police have released a statement in the aftermath of the IED blast on the Jammu-Srinagar highway:

• Our preliminary report suggests that a car laden with IED was at the spot. It is not clear at this moment that whether the car rammed into the convoy or was parked before hand. Mangled remains of the car is at the spot that is being investigated. But difficult to identify at this stage. 
• The CRPF convoy was coming from Jammu. The convoy had checked in at Anantnag. 
• The terrorists did not target the security car ahead of the bus. The plan was to only target the CRPF bus. 
• Jaish has claimed responsibility. We are also looking at whether any local support was provided.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti condemns the terror attack in Pulwama.

A total of 18 CRPF personnel have been martyred in the IED blast in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, says PTI quoting officials.

The following is the statement released by the CRPF:

• The convoy started from Jammu around 4am. It was an Up Convoy to Srinagar. 
• 70 vehicles were in this convoy with 2,500 CRPF personnel. 
• Road opening party had cleared the route. 
• The convoy had last checked in at Anantnag. 
• A civilian car was laden with IED. 
• CRPF DG RR Bhatnagar is returning to Delhi today evening. 
• IG Kashmir Zulfikar Hasan is at the spot.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik condemn the terror attack.

All the injured have been shifted to the hospital. We will hold the post-blast analysis. It will take time: IG CRPF

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Congress president Rahul Gandhi express their condolences to families of those who have been martyred in the terror attack.

Former Army chief and present MoS MEA VK Singh slams the cowardly act by the terrorists.

Police did receive an input about an imminent attack around 3 days ago. The input was regarding an attack that would be carried out by Jaish. But this was not specific in nature with regards to location of the attack: IB Kashmir sources have told Republic TV

Republic TV has learnt that the death toll has risen to 26.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Kashmir on Friday and take note of the situation

BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh express their condolences to families of the martyred.

CRPF sources have said that 100 kg of explosive was used in IED blast

PM Narendra Modi expresses his condolences to the families of the martyred CRPF jawans.

The official figure of those martyred in Pulwama has gone up to 30

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra issues a statement:

Death toll in the terror attack rises to 39.

PM Modi speaks to Home Minister, National Security Advisor and J&K Governor

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu tweets his condolences:

BJP MP Dr Subramanian Swamy also tweets, imploring India to end diplomatic ties with Pakistan immediately:

NIA team to leave from Delhi to Srinagar on Friday morning. Top sources have said that it is unclear if the case will be transferred to NIA.

President Ram Nath Kovind has condemned the terror attack that has resulted in the death of 39 CRPF jawans so far.

Death toll in the Pulwama terror attack rises to 40

44 CRPF jawans have now been martyred in the Pulwama terror attack

On Thursday afternoon, the 54 Battalion of CRPF was targeted by the terrorists as their vehicle was attacked with an IED blast in the Awantipora area of the Pulwama district on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Early reports have suggested that at least 4 CRPF jawans have been injured from this terrorist attack.