In the preliminary interrogation of five Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, it has been found that the terrorist organizations operating in the valley are now using gelatin, not RDX, to make IEDs. Actually gelatin is easily available at government counters in Kashmir. Kashmiris use it in stone quarries. Not only this, but the terrorists also said that they had planned to target the security forces before the Republic Day. For this, they were about to prepare IEDs and for this, they had managed 100 to 200 gelatin sticks.

A senior police official said that the five Jaish-e-Muhammad militants arrested were recently involved in two grenade attacks in Hazratbal and Habak areas. The official said that gelatin is an explosive substance containing colodion-cotton (a type of nitrocellulose or guncon). It is dissolved in nitroglycerin or nitro-glycol and mixed with wood pulp and salt (sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate).

Police investigation also found that the arrested Jaish militants had hidden 200 gelatin sticks in an area in Srinagar. The police team raided the place after asking the terrorists the location and confiscated gelatin sticks and other items including nitric acid. The purpose of these terrorists was to carry out a major incident on the eve of Republic Day.

Police sources said that even though this gelatin is available at the government counter, no one can get it. We are also investigating who ultimately helped to provide this gelatin to the terrorists. Gelatin is largely owned by stone-quarries in Kashmir. He breaks the mountain with gelatin to extract small and big stones for construction. The police has formed a special investigation team to find out. He said that any mine owner-employee or the staff posted at the government counter are helping in transporting gelatin to the terrorists. The police claimed that they would soon find out where the terrorists were buying the gelatin from.

What is gelatin
Gelatin is an explosive. It is nitrocellulose or guncotton, which is broken into nitroglycerin or nitroglycol to add wood pulp or salt. It burns slowly but cannot explode without detonators.

Where is the use
Gelatin sticks are used to break rocks on ballast crushers. It is also used as an explosive to break mountains.

What happens detonator
The bomb is activated with the help of a detonator. In general language, it can also be called a bomb trigger. It is used in pit dug bombs IEDs (Improvise Explosive Devices). The detonator increases the explosive power of the bomb. Naxalites generally use similar bombs.