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Updated: Feb 15, 2019 21:11 IST

Saluting the martyrs who lost their lives in Thursday’s terror attack in South Kashmir’s Pulwama, the Central Reserve Police Force released a collage of photographs in their memory. The paramilitary force said the terror attack “will be avenged.”

“WE WILL NOT FORGET, WE WILL NOT FORGIVE: We salute our martyrs of Pulwama attack and stand with the families of our martyr brothers. This heinous attack will be avenged,” the CRPF wrote on Twitter.

In another post, the force said that all formations of the CRPF observed two minutes of silence “in memory of the martyrs of the terrorist attack”. The CRPF also decided to fly its flag half mast on Friday.

At least 40 CRPF jawans were killed in the terror attack, in which a convoy of 78 vehicles of the force was targeted by a suicide bomb mission of the militants. Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack.

Coming only months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Pulwama terror attack was the worst in decades in the Kashmir Valley. The attack prompted a strong response from the government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, “We will give a befitting reply, our neighbour will not be allowed to de-stabilise us.”

PM Modi chaired Friday morning a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), where India decided to withdraw the most favoured nation status accorded to Pakistan 23 years ago. The CCS also decided to take steps to isolate Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama attack.

The external affairs ministry moved swiftly with an outreach to more than 15 nations including the P5 – the United States, the UK, France, Russia and China, which has been blocking India’s bid to proscribe Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist. China has repeatedly used its veto at the United Nations to shield Azhar.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who visited Srinagar after attending the CCS meet, reviewed the security situation in Kashmir at a meeting with top officers of the Indian Army, the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

In a veiled reference to the separatist leaders in Kashmir Valley, Singh also said that the security provided to them should be reviewed. The government provides security to a host of separatist leaders on the basis of threat perception in each case. Singh said there are people in Kashmir “who take money from Pakistan” and conspire against India.