As many as 18 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred and several others injured on Thursday when militants triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blastat Awantipora in south Kashmir district of Pulwama.
Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Official sources said militants triggered the blast when a vehicle, carrying the CRPF personnel, was passing the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Goripora, Awantipora.
While 18 CRPF personnel were killed on the spot, several others were wounded after the vehicle was blown up. The injured were immediately rushed to Army’s 92 base hospital.
Security forces have been rushed to the spot and the area has been cordoned off.