The attack took place when militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) and opened fire at their vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police sources said.
Below is a timeline of similar incidents in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in past 2 decades.
Amarnath yatra attack, 2017
A terror attack in Anantnag which killed 7 pilgrims, injured 19 people, is considered as one of the deadliest attack in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Nagrota Attack, 2016
Terrorists attacked an Indian Army camp in Nagrota, on the outskirts of Jammu, killing at least seven soldiers. The attack comes two months after the Modi government launched the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan.
URI attack, 2016
Terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) infiltrated across the Line of Control (LoC) and attacked an administrative camp in the 12 Brigade HQ located in Uri with deadly effect. At least 19 soldiers of 6 Bihar battalion, camping in tents were killed in the early morning attack.
Jammu attack, 2015
An Army installation in Samba near Jammu was attacked by terrorists. The terrorists were killed in a fierce gun battle that lasted for six hours.
Srinagar attack, 2013
Two militants and five CRPF personnel died and ten others sustained injuries on the playground of J&K Police Public School at Bemina on the National Highway Bypass in Srinagar.
Jammu railway station attack, 2004
The terrorists sneaked into the railway station, opened fire indiscriminately and lobbed hand grenades.
Over 700 people including railway officials were evacuated. The injured were shifted in bullet-proof vehicles.
In August 2001, militants carried out a similar attack and killed nine persons, including two Army men. One terrorist was killed while another escaped.
Raghunath temple attack, 2002
A fidayeen attack, which involved two terrorists, on Jammu's Raghunath temple on March 30, 2002, killed 12 people and left 20 injured. J&K police had arrested six villagers claiming their involvement — including a school teacher, a retired revenue official and a Special Police official — from Poonch district.
Security personnel opened fire at the terrorists, killing one.
There was no damage to the temple. A bag containing handgrenades and other explosive material was recovered from the terrorists.
Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly car bombing, 2001
One of the terrorist attackers drove a Tata Sumo loaded with explosives to the main entrance and exploded it. The other militants entered the building and seized control. All militants were killed in the shootout which lasted several hours.
Pakistani based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility and named a Pakistan national Wajahat Hussain as the suicide bomber.
"India cannot accept such manifestations of hate and terror from across its borders" said the statement issued by Indian foreign Ministry aimed clearly at the government of Pakistan.
"There is a limit to India's patience," said Farooq Abdullah, former CM of the Jammu and Kashmir and called for reprisal attacks on Pakistan, where the group blamed for the attack is based.
"The time has come to wage a war against Pakistan and to bomb the militant training camps there. We are running out of patience," he said.
