"This Force Has A Tradition Of Valour And Sacrifice": CRPF Chief

Amid grief and anger over the death of over 40 jawans, the chief of the Central Reserve Police Forces or CRPF said that it is the "confidence and camaraderie" of his men that help them fight and achieve success in extreme situations. "I salute my brave soldiers, who made the supreme sacrifice -- part of our tradition," Rajeev Bhatnagar, CRPF Director General told NDTV.

"I express my heartfelt condolences to their families...we are one with them," said Mr Bhatnagar. With pride he praised his soldiers and said that, "this force (CRPF) has a tradition of valour and sacrifice...and we work like a close-knit family. In operational matters close coordination is essential."

When asked whether the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, which claimed responsibility for the attack, has become more active in the last one year, Mr Bhatnagar said that the horrific terror strike in Pulwama was an "act of desperation" as the CRPF had "notable successes" against the group in the recent past. "Local and foreign elements, who cross over, are involved," Mr Bhatnagar added.

Speaking on how the terrorist managed to carry such huge quantities of explosives - around 60-70 kg - in the car, the CRPF chief said, "It is a matter of investigation and forensic agencies and blast investigation teams are working on it."

The CRPF jawans were killed after their convoy was targeted by a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Thursday, triggering a wave of anger across the country. The suicide bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar, drove up next to the bus carrying the jawans and detonated around 60 kg of powerful RDX. Sources say, human remains were found scattered as far as 80 metres away on the highway.