All you need to know about Jaish-e-Mohammed that killed 44 in Pulwama

Masood Azhar's Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack on a CRPF convoy.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the deadliest terror attack in Kashmir in recent times
• Jaish had earlier attacked the forces in Uri and Pathankot in 2016
• Jaish founder Masood Azhar was released by the Vajpayee govt in 1999

At least 44 CRPF personnel were killed Thursday in the deadliest terror attack in the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir. Local Kashmiri militant Adil Dar drove a Tata Sumo packed with explosives in the range of 200 to 350 kg into a bus that was part of a CRPF convoy of 70 vehicles. The convoy was on its way to Srinagar from Anantnag when the explosion hit a bus full of CRPF personnel at Lethipora near Awantipora in Pulwama district.

Pakistan-based banned terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility and released a video of suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar soon after the attack.

The terror outfit led by Maulana Masood Azhar operates with the motive of separating Kashmir from India and merging the province with Pakistan.

Here is all that you need to know about Jaish, which caused the devastating attack in Pulwama:

1. Masood Azhar was arrested in Kashmir several decades ago and was later released in 1999 by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in return for the 155 Indian Airlines passengers who were held hostage in Afghanistan

2. Soon after, Masood Azhar founded the Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2000 with the motive to free Kashmir

3. While the Pulwama terror attack can easily be declared the worst strikes in the past few decades of Kashmir's history, Jaish-e-Mohammed has been responsible for several other deadly attacks in India, including the recent Pathankot airbase attack and the Uri attack

4. On February 14, Jaish released a video of suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, claiming responsibility for the Pulwama attack that has caused the death of over 40 CRPF personnel

5. In January 2016, Jaish-e-Mohammed carried out a terror strike on India Air Force's (IAF) Pathankot airbase, killing seven personnel

6. In September 2016, the Masood Azhar-led outfit carried out another attack on an Indian Army base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 soldiers in what was the deadliest attacks on Kashmir so far

7. The Uri attack triggered the Modi government to hit back at Pakistan with surgical strikes, which was aimed at destroying terror launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC)

8. Jaish-e-Mohammed is also responsible for the 2001 Parliament attack along with Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack caused 9 deaths and bitter strain in Indo-Pak relations that have continued to worsen ever since

9. Jaish-e-Mohammed is led by Maulana Masood Azhar. While India has raised several requests in the United Nations to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist and has been supported by the United States and several other major nations. However, China has continued to block India's request over the past few years, despite repeated requests from the Modi government

10. China has blocked India's efforts to designate Masood Azhar under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council citing lack of consensus among the members of the Council

SOURCE