Pulwama Terror Attack: Bodies Of Martyred Odia Jawans To Arrive In Bhubaneswar Today

Bhubaneswar: The mortal remains of the two Odia CRPF jawans, who were martyred in an suicide bombing attack at Awantipora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, are likely to arrive in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

Sources said the bodies of the two martyrs would be brought in an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter to the Biju Patnaik International Airport here and later taken to their respective villages after a guard of honour.

Meanwhile, the family members of the two CRPF jawans—Prasanna Sahu of Naugan village in Jagatsinghpur district and Manoj Kumar Behera of Ratanpur village of Niali block in Cuttack district – are distraught over the death of their members.

Talking to the media in Jeypore, Debasish Behera said his brother-in-law Manoj had joined the CRPF as a constable in 2006. He was home on leave on leave and left the village a week ago.

Manoj had married in 2017 and is survived by his wife and a one-year-old daughter.

Talking to the media, his wife told, in a choked voice, that he had called her up a few hours before the terror attack claimed his life.

Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended Naugan village following the death of Prasanna Sahu.

“I feel immensely proud that my father has laid down his life for the country. But I’ll never get see him again,” said Sahu’s daughter Ruchi.

Over 40 CRPF personnel were killed and dozens injured on Thursday evening when a suicide bomber rammed his SUV packed with explosives into a CRPF bus on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. It could be termed as the worst attack ever on the security personnel in Jammu & Kashmir as well as in the country after 2016 Pathankot attack.

Terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack. It also released a video clip of the suicide bomber, identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the attack.