An internal probe by CRPF into the June 12 suicide attack in southern district of Anantnag that left five CRPF men and a police officer dead, has revealed that the slain Jaish-e-Muhammad militant had used “steel-coated bullets” to inflict maximum damage.
According to some top CRPF officials privy to the internalprobe, as many as 18 armour piercing bullets were recovered from the magazineof slain Jaish-e-Muhammad militant, who carried out the attack on the CRPFpatrol party at KP Road Anantnag on June 12.
“Yes, the slain militant had used armour piercing steelcoated bullets,” CRPF spokesman in Srinagar, Sanjay Sharma told Greater Kashmir.He, however, refused to elaborate further citing security reasons.
A top CRPF officer said that all the five slain CRPF men,who were wearing bullet-proof shield on their chests, had received three tofour bullets that had pierced through their shields causing their death.
“The use of steel bullets had been the practice of Jaishmilitants only. In 2017, Jaish carried out two major suicide attacks—one indistrict police lines Pulwama and another one at Lethpora, Puwlama camp of CRPFand in both attacks, steel coated bullets were used,” the officer revealed,wishing not to be named.
“It was after more than two years that Jaish once againchose to use steel bullets with an aim to inflict maximum damage. We haveapprised our top brass in Delhi and one thing is sure that remedial measureswill be taken without any further delay. Use of armour piercing bullets byJaish militants is certainly a cause of concern.”
The DPL Pulwama attack was carried out on August 26, 2017and Lethpora attack on CRPF camp on December 31, 2017. In Lethpora, a bullet had pierced through abullet-proof shield resulting in the killing of a CRPF counter-insurgencyexpert.
Curiously, in an internal security assessment conducted bythe CRPF in December 2018, it was found that no steel coated bullet was used bymilitants in any of the attack they carried out in the year.
A source said that CRPF has taken a serious note ofrevelations of probe conducted into the Anantnag attack and “findings have beensent to the top brass in Delhi for framing remedial measures.”
“Last year, a unanimous consensus was evolved to increasethe layer of bullet proof shield used by CRPF men on their chest,” the sourcesaid. “Other men for counter insurgency operations opposed the move citing thatit will further add to their body weight which includes weapon, magazines (twominimum), a bullet proof-shield, helmet, uniform and shoes.”
However, this time around, according to top CRPF officials,”some serious remedial measures are on cards.”