L K Advani condemns 'barbaric' Pulwama terror attack

"The barbaric terrorist attack yesterday on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, in which nearly 40 jawans became martyrs, is an attack on India and a crime against humanity," said senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani on Friday.

"Terrorists and their sponsors should know that India can neither be divided nor deterred by their evil designs. The entire nation should stand united in firm support of whatever way the Government of India decides to respond to this attack," he added.

"My heart goes to the families of the bereaved jawans. And I pray for the recovery of all those injured in this attack," the senior BJP leader said in his concluding remark.

In the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir, around 40 CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday when their convoy was targeted by a suspected suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

In the wake of the attack, India suspended 'Most Favoured Nation' (MFN) status granted to Pakistan and called for international isolation.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav lauded the government's move and said, "Withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan was an important tactical step by govt. Ministry of External Affairs will undertake major diplomatic initiatives to ensure that Pakistan is brought to justice."

Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu called for dialogue in the wake of the deadly attack.

"It is condemnable, it is a cowardly act. It needs a permanent solution through dialogue, how long will the Jawans sacrifice their lives? How long will the bloodshed continue? People who do this must be punished. Hurling abuses won't help," he told ANI.

The convoy of 78 buses, in which around 2500 CRPF personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar, came under attack at around 3.15 pm at Ladhu Modi Lethpora.

This is the deadliest attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in September 2016, an Army camp was stormed by terrorists in Uri, killing 19 soldiers. Prior to that, 28 BSF personnel were killed in an attack on a convoy of the paramilitary force in 2004.