Rahul Gandhi pays homage to CRPF bravehearts on Pulwama attack anniversary

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid tributes to the 40 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack in 2019. "Humble tributes to the bravehearts of the Pulwama terrorist attack. The country will always be indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice dedicated to the defence of India," Rahul Gandhi posted on X.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also took to his social media handle and posted on X, "We pay our sincere tributes and salutations to the indomitable courage and valour of the Pulwama bravehearts. The nation shall forever be indebted to their supreme sacrifice. Lest We Forget." Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid homage to the CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

The Prime Minister posted on X, "I pay homage to the brave heroes who were martyred in Pulwama. Their service and sacrifice for our nation will always be remembered. February 14, 2019 marks five years since the Pulwama terror attack, when 40 valiant Indian soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an IED-laden vehicle into the security convoy carrying them.

Days after the attack, the Indian Air Force carried out multiple aerial strikes on February 26, 2019, at JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, killing a "large number" of terrorists and destroying their infrastructure. The air strike was launched in the early hours of February 26 and Pakistan's efforts to launch an offensive the next day to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir were thwarted by an alert IAF.

In the dogfight, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MiG-21 Bison fighter plane and chasing Pakistani jets, crossed over to PoK, where his aircraft was shot down. He was taken into custody by Pakistan. India also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet.