Terrorists who attacked Punjab had lethal armour-piercing bullets

CHANDIGARH: The terrorists who attacked Dinanagar in Punjab on Monday had come armed with lethal armour-piercing incendiary bullets, commonly known as API, which can penetrate even bullet-proof vests and vehicles.

Senior Punjab Police officials say it was one of the few terror strikes in India where API ammunition was used. State cops have only 1,387 bullet-proof vests (officials prefer to call these bullet-resistant vests) for a force of around 80,000. But even these would not have stopped the API bullets.

The size of these bullets is the same as 7.62 mm rounds but their front portions (projectiles) have a hardened core that can penetrate at least 0.7 inches of steel, commonly used in bullet-proof items.

An examination of the bullets showed that the headstamp on their case mentions the number 71. The headstamp identifies the manufacturer, which sources say is China in this case.

Both these revelations are a cause for concern. Had a Punjab Special Weapons And Tactics ( SWAT) commando been hit by one of these bullets, his survival would have been difficult.

Cops could not say for sure if it was an API bullet that claimed the life of superintendent of police ( detective) Baljit Singh in Monday's terror attack. But another inspector-rank cop posted in Amritsar was injured by one of these deadly bullets. Although he survived, doctors say it will take him at least six months to recover given the amount of shrapnel found in his intestine.