‘Sticky bombs’ have security forces on alert

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 7

With intelligence input suggesting that “Sticky bombs” have entered the Kashmir Valley, the security agencies have redrawn their standard operating procedures (SOPs) and advised the general public to avoid leaving their vehicles unattended.

Officials in the security establishment said, following the recovery an arms consignment consisting of a improvised explosive device (IED) with an in-built magnet by the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Police, intelligence sources confirmed that terror outfits had managed to push into the union territory consignments of “sticky bombs”, which could be placed under any vehicle and exploded with the help of a timer or a remote.

Soon after the J&K Police recovered such explosive devices, a video originated from across the border on social media, which gave step by step instructions about its usage and triggering mechanism. The video issued in the name of People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), believed to be a shadow outfit of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba terror group, explained about magnetic bombs and its damage capabilities, intelligence sources said.

Recovered in Samba District on Feb 14

• The 'sticky bombs', dropped by terrorists sitting across the border in Pakistan using drones, were recovered in Samba sector of Jammu region along the International Border on February 14.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered an arms consignment consisting of an improvised explosive device (IED) with an in-built magnet which could be placed on any vehicle and exploded with the help of a timer or a remote.
• In India, ''sticky bombs'' were used by suspected Iranian terrorists in February 2012 to injure the wife of an Israeli diplomat.

This alarmed the security agencies to redraw their standard operating procedures (SoP) for their movement, the security officials said, adding that in case of movement of forces both the Army and paramilitary, it has been decided “not to allow any vehicular movement along the scheduled convoys”.

The security agencies, since the recovery of the “'sticky bombs”, have also instructed their formations and the public at large not to leave their vehicles unattended at any point in time, the officials said.

The development comes two years after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist carried out a sensational attack when he rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying security forces that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.

In India, ''sticky bombs'' were used by suspected Iranian terrorists in February 2012 to injure the wife of an Israeli diplomat.

The “sticky bombs” have found their maximum use in war-ravaged Afghanistan where Taliban used them against US-led allied forces and in Iraq and Syria where ISIS operatives have triggered them against the government forces.

Taliban, IS use magnetic IEDs

The magnetic IEDs, known as 'sticky bombs', have found their maximum use in war-ravaged Afghanistan where Taliban used them against US-led allied forces and in Iraq and Syria where IS terrorists have triggered them against the government forces.

(With PTI inputs)

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