Pulwama attack: JK Governor Satyapal Malik admits 'negligence'; says 'We had intelligence inputs'

“Pakistan was frustrated that there was a peaceful situation in Kashmir as earlier around 50 people used to die, and we got information via intelligence sources that Pakistani terrorists were pushed to do something, therefore we had an idea that something would take place, but had no idea that something of this scale would happen.”

New Delhi: Hours after deadly terror attack jolted Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, killing 37 CRPF troopers on Thursday; state Governor Satyapal Malik spoke to ABP News and condemned the attack. He also admitted that security forces failed to act on intelligence inputs.

Admitting that “We had information that Pakistan is very frustrated over that fact that we have completely controlled terrorism in last four months, there were no new admissions in terror groups, the stone pelting had stopped, 3-4 terrorists were being killed every-day”.

He further said that “Pakistan was frustrated that there was a peaceful situation in Kashmir as earlier around 50 people used to die, and we got information via intelligence sources that Pakistani terrorists were pushed to do something, therefore we had an idea that something would take place, but had no idea that something of this scale would happen.”

“It was a major miss that a car full of so much of explosives kept roaming around on the highway and we didn’t even get to know about it. We are very sorry for it”. “We stand with the families of the soldiers.”

He said that "We have broken the protocol because so many Army vehicles never move together".

He further lashed out at former CM Mehbooba Mufti and said “The situation is so bad that the ministers in power visit the families of these terrorists after they are gunned down by security officials.”

At least 37 CRPF personnel were killed and five injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district, officials said.

The CRPF headquarters in Delhi issued a statement late night to state the figures even as CRPF officials and Jammu and Kashmir police sources had earlier put the death toll at 39.

"We regret to inform that 37 personnel attained martyrdom and five personnel were injured in the ID blast at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir. The injured are being treated at the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar," the CRPF statement said.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir around 3.15 pm.