The CRPF personnel in other vehicles of the convoy, informed that a red colour Eeco car traveled along with the CRPF convoy for about one and a half to two minutes. The guards on the gate, signaled it to stay away from the convoy. For few seconds it drifted away but again attacked the bus from the side.
The suicide attacker drove the explosive laden van side by side of the CRPF convoy for about 2 minutes before ramming it into the bus.
Earlier in the day, sources revealed that the attack was planned by terrorists to avenge the death of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar’s nephew who was killed by security forces in an encounter last year.
It was earlier planned by the JeM terrorists to carry out their operation on February 9 which is terrorist Afzal Guru’s death anniversary, or on February 11, which is the death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat, the founder of the militant organisation National Liberation Front, but due to heavy snowfall the highway was shut and the attack could not be executed. Suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, (who did the van ramming on February 14) had gone to the Srinagar-Jammu highway on 2,6, and 8 February also. Full preparations were in place to execute attack on February 9, but snowfall prevented it.
Thrice, they attempted suicide bombing in the camp, but could not succeed.
Eventually they planned to attack by ramming an explosive-laden vehicle, which is the tactical shift in terror attacks in Jammu Kashmir lately. The implementation of the plan began after Jaish commander Abdul Ghazi Rasheed, reached Kashmir. He is still suspected to be hidden in the Pulwama’s Tral region.
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