<p class="title">A day after an internal probe by CRPF into the June 12 suicide attack in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district revealed that militants had used steel-coated armour-piercing bullets, security agencies in the state are mulling remedial measures to counter the threat.</p>.<p class="title">“The bullet proof shields will be upgraded and modified to face the steel-coated bullets. Immediate measures would include further reinforcement of protective shields used during counter-insurgency operations,” a senior security forces officer said.</p>.<p class="title">“Long term measures would include upgrade and improvement in the bullet-proof equipment, including helmets and jackets used by the deployed troops,” he added.</p>.<p class="title">According to top CRPF officials privy to the internal probe, as many as 18 armour-piercing bullets were recovered from the magazine of slain Jaish-e-Muhammad militant, who carried out the attack on the CRPF patrol party at KP Road Anantnag on June 12. Five CRPF men and station house officer (SHO) Saddar, Anantnag, Arshid Khan were killed in the deadly attack.</p>.<p class="title">Steel-coated bullets were made in China and are banned across the globe. “We are taking a series of remedial measures and one of them is modify the bulletproof shield used on the chest and back by the CRPF men,” A CRPF officer said.</p>.<p class="title">He said that the Director General of CRPF, R Bhatnagar has sought a detailed report over the incident and the probe and there is every likelihood that he will soon chair a meeting at New Delhi where top CRPF officers from the state will also participate.</p>.<p class="title">This is not the first time Jaish militants used such bullets: in 2017, Jaish carried out two major suicide attacks, one in Pulwama and another one at the Lethpora camp in Pulwama of CRPF. In both attacks, steel-coated bullets were reportedly used.</p>
<p class="title">A day after an internal probe by CRPF into the June 12 suicide attack in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district revealed that militants had used steel-coated armour-piercing bullets, security agencies in the state are mulling remedial measures to counter the threat.</p>.<p class="title">“The bullet proof shields will be upgraded and modified to face the steel-coated bullets. Immediate measures would include further reinforcement of protective shields used during counter-insurgency operations,” a senior security forces officer said.</p>.<p class="title">“Long term measures would include upgrade and improvement in the bullet-proof equipment, including helmets and jackets used by the deployed troops,” he added.</p>.<p class="title">According to top CRPF officials privy to the internal probe, as many as 18 armour-piercing bullets were recovered from the magazine of slain Jaish-e-Muhammad militant, who carried out the attack on the CRPF patrol party at KP Road Anantnag on June 12. Five CRPF men and station house officer (SHO) Saddar, Anantnag, Arshid Khan were killed in the deadly attack.</p>.<p class="title">Steel-coated bullets were made in China and are banned across the globe. “We are taking a series of remedial measures and one of them is modify the bulletproof shield used on the chest and back by the CRPF men,” A CRPF officer said.</p>.<p class="title">He said that the Director General of CRPF, R Bhatnagar has sought a detailed report over the incident and the probe and there is every likelihood that he will soon chair a meeting at New Delhi where top CRPF officers from the state will also participate.</p>.<p class="title">This is not the first time Jaish militants used such bullets: in 2017, Jaish carried out two major suicide attacks, one in Pulwama and another one at the Lethpora camp in Pulwama of CRPF. In both attacks, steel-coated bullets were reportedly used.</p>
