Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019, and said he will never forget their 'supreme sacrifice'.
"Remembering our valorous heroes who we lost on this day in Pulwama. We will never forget their supreme sacrifice. Their courage motivates us to build a strong and developed India," he said.
India considers February 14 to be a "black day" due to the Pulwama attacks in which 40 CRPF bravehearts were killed in one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces.
India was brought to a standstill four years ago on February 14 when the deaths of 40 CRPF officers were reported on our televisions.
A suicide bomber from Jaish-e-Mohammad drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in one of the worst terror attacks. A scene of the devastation caused by the terror attack on February 14, 2019, occurred in the afternoon.
In a press release on February 15, 2019, MEA accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism. It stated that Masood Azhar, the JeM's leader, has been granted complete freedom to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in Pakistani-controlled areas and carry out attacks in India and elsewhere without fear of reprisals. Pakistan denied India's claims that it participated in the Pulwama attack.
Indo-Pak Ties Deteriorate
Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated as a result of the attack. India took away Pakistan's status as its most preferred nation and increased the customs duty on all Pakistani goods imported into India to 20 per cent.
Balakot Airstrike
In the early hours of the morning, Indian Air Force jets bombed the JeM camp in Balakot, Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, twelve days after they struck the CRPF convoy. Since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, this was the first time an attack plane had crossed the Line of Control. Twelve Mirage 2000 aircraft were involved in the operation, according to reports.
An operation to drop 1,000-kilogram bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammad camps in Pakistan and across the Line of Control was carried out, according to reports. The JeM camp in Pakistan's Balakot sector was said to have been "completely destroyed" as a result of the operation.