Pulwama attack: Sitharaman returns to India, to attend CCS meeting

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman returned to India from Sweden on Friday and will attend a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who will assume charge as the Finance Minister today, is also likely attend the meeting, sources said.

Besides the Prime Minister, the CCS comprises the ministers for Home, Finance, Defence and External Affairs.

Forty CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday.

The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.

Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was caused by a suicide bomber, according to a local news agency.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting Srinagar after the CCS meeting to take stock of the situation in the wake of the attack. He will hold review meetings with senior security and police officials to make a ground-level assessment and review operational actions.

Meanwhile, arrangements are also being made to airlift the mortal remains of the soldiers who lost their lives in the ghastly attack.