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Pakistan Supplying Chinese Grenades to Terrorists in Kashmir, Indian Media Says

There has been an increase in low-intensity grenade blasts in Jammu and Kashmir and most of these grenades are of Chinese origin, says a report published in the Indian media. These grenades do not carry any markings, therefore, India cannot use them as proof of Pakistan's involvement in a particular terror attack, opines a defence analyst.
Sputnik

New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian intelligence agencies involved in counter terrorism operations have alleged that Pakistan is supplying Chinese-made grenades and highly sophisticated arms and ammunitions to terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. A report in the English-language daily Hindustan Times has revealed this information after scrutinizing internal reports of Indian intelligence agencies. 

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Sputnik has obtained confirmation from sources in Indian intelligence agencies that there has been a sudden spurt in incidents of grenade blasts by terrorists at vehicles, patrol parties, camps of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.  

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Most of the grenades now used by terror groups are Chinese-made. These grenades are easy to handle and are more suitable for low intensity blasts which often inflict maximum damage, agencies confirmed to Sputnik.

According to an intelligence document accessed by Hindustan Times, India security forces have so far recovered around 70 Chinese-made grenades in the last two years in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Apart from grenades, security forces operating in the Kashmir valley also seized Chinese-made pistols, armour piercing incendiary shells and tracer rounds from terrorist outfits operating in the valley. The armour piercing incendiary includes both a mild steel core and a hard steel core and its use brings a new dimension of threat for the security forces, the document stated.

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Chinese-made API (armour piercing incendiary) is unique in the sense that it can pierce bulletproof jackets used by Indian security forces.

Sputnik sources were informed that it was Chinese grenades that were used in the attack at the Jammu bus stand last month in which two people lost their lives while more than 30 people were injured.

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Elaborating on the development, an Indian defence analyst and former Indian Army Officer told Sputnik that its a tactic by Pakistan to divert the attention of Indian intelligence agencies.

"It's a new strategy by the Pakistani army so that India cannot blame them for the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, the dossier circulated by India among the international community after the Pulwama terror attack in the Kashmir valley had clearly mentioned about the Pakistan-made weapons, arms and ammunitions. It was a strong and credible evidence which India had used to expose Pakistan for its role in fomenting terrorism in India. Therefore, to counter Indian strategy the Pakistani army is supplying Chinese-made grenades so that they (Pakistan) maintain 'plausible deniability' for terrorism in the valley," Major General (Rtd) A K Siwach told Sputnik.

"One of the important aspects about these Chinese-origin grenades are that they do not carry any making mark on it therefore we cannot use it as a proof against involvement of Pakistan in a particular terror attack," Major General Siwach added.

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