India warns Pakistan to stop terror groups, seeks action against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar

India has warned Pakistan in no uncertain terms to stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from its territory following the suicide bombing carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) against a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus in Jammu and Kashmir resulting in the tragic death of 44 soldiers and several others injured.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, a few hours after the full scale of the suicide attack became clear, the Ministry of External Affairs also designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council. The dastardly attack resulted in a surge of anger across the country as mutilated bodies of scores of security personnel lay scattered on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

"We strongly reiterate our appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including JeM Chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan," read the statement.

Blaming Pakistan for the suicide attack, the government said, "The Government of India condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly terrorist attack on our brave security forces in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir earlier today (14 February 2019). This heinous and despicable act has been perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based and supported terrorist organisation proscribed by the United Nations and other countries. This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been given full freedom by Government of Pakistan to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity." 

"The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security. We are equally resolved to fight against the menace of terrorism. We demand that Pakistan stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory and dismantle the infrastructure operated by terrorist outfits to launch attacks in other countries," it added.

However, Pakistan, as usual, denied any hand in the terror attack. "The attack in Pulwama in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is a matter of grave concern. We have always condemned heightened acts of violence in the Valley. We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian government and media circles that seek to link the attack to the State of Pakistan without investigations, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The 78-bus long convoy carrying 2547 CRPF troopers from the transit camp in Jammu to Srinagar on Thursday was attacked a JeM suicide bomber who rammed a car full of explosives into one of the buses. Maulana Masood Azhar had formed JeM Launched in 2000 in Karachi after he was was released along with two other terrorists - Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, on December 31, 1999, in exchange for the release of 155 passengers of Indian Airlines flight IC-184 in Taliban-controlled Kandahar in Afghanistan.