Army officer says Pulwama attack masterminded by Jaish, ISI; those who pick up gun will be eliminated

The Pulwama suicide bombing was masterminded by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Pakistan's ISI, a senior Army officer said on Tuesday, five days after 40 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest terror attacks in the Valley.

Corps Commander Lt Gen KS Dhillon of the Chinar Corps said this in a joint press conference by IG Kashmir SP Pani and IG CRPF Zulfiqar Hasan.

He also said he requested mothers of Kashmiri militants to persuade their sons to surrender.' "Anyone who picks up the gun will be eliminated," the officer said.

According to Dhillon, security forces had been tracking the top leadership of the JeM since the February 14 bombing in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

"We have eliminated the top commander who carried out the Pulwama attack," Dhillon said.

On Monday, three JeM terrorists were killed in a 16-hour encounter in Pinglan in Pulwama district, about 12 km from the site of the February 14 attack. An Army major and five others were also killed.