NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to the soldiers, that were killed in the Pulwama attack 7 years ago calling them “brave heroes”.“Remembering the brave heroes who laid down their lives in Pulwama on this day in 2019. Their devotion, resolve and service to the nation remain forever etched in our collective consciousness. Every Indian draws strength from their enduring courage,” said PM Modi on X.Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also remembered the soldiers saying, “My heartfelt tribute to our brave soldiers who were killed in the audacious terrorist attack in Pulwama in 2019. The nation shall forever remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice in the defence of Mother India.”Vice President CP Radhakrishnan also paid his tributes on the seventh anniversary of the attack. “I pay homage to the brave personnel who laid down their lives in the Pulwama terror attack. Their supreme sacrifice will forever remain etched in the nation’s memory and continues to inspire us to build a strong and secure India,” he said.
Tributes pour in from across the nation
A wreath-laying ceremony in Pulwama honoured the 40 CRPF personnel killed in the 2019 terror attack, as senior officers and officials gatahered to pay tribute.CRPF also paid tribute to the soldiers. “On 14 Feb 2019, 40 bravehearts of CRPF India made the supreme sacrifice in Pulwama. Their valour remains etched in our hearts forever,” it said.UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath also paid tribute to the “brave sons of Mother India who made the supreme sacrifice in the cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama.”Mallikarjun Kharge joined in, writing “we pay our deepest homage to the brave martyrs of Bharat Mata, who laid down their lives in Pulwama.”
On February 14, 2019, the Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed one of the deadliest terror attacks in Indian history. A convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) travelling along the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway was targeted in a suicide bombing, killing 40 personnel. The date has since been remembered as a “Black Day” in the country’s security narrative.The convoy consisted of 78 buses carrying nearly 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into one of the buses, causing massive casualties and destruction.The attack drew widespread international condemnation and led to an immediate tightening of security protocols across Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility, stating that a suicide bomber carried out the assault, according to local media reports.In response, India initiated a series of counter-terror measures, most notably conducting airstrikes on alleged terror training camps across the border in Pakistan. The military action marked a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.Beyond its immediate impact, the Pulwama attack reignited global debate over cross-border terrorism, militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, and the broader security dynamics between India and Pakistan.
