The Indian military has cooked up a new weapon in the fight against terrorism: the world's hottest chilli.

The thumb-sized "bhut jolokia", which is usually used to cure stomach troubles, will be employed to pepper suspects with the tear gas-like grenades.

Researchers have trialled the flaming hot chilli and found a way to harness the power of a vegetable which is more than 125,000-times spicier than a jalapeno.

Troops will now use the bhut jolokia - also known as "ghost chilli" - to smoke out insurgents.

The chilli-powered grenades were declared "fit for use" by defence officials after trials at the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation.

After tests, the military has decided to use the chilli to make tear gas-like hand grenades. The army believes that the pungency of the bhut jolokia - a chilli 200 times hotter than Tabasco sauce - could be harnessed in smoke grenades against rioters or to flush out terrorists in confined spaces. 

The bhut jolokia, which is grown and eaten in India's northeast for its taste, was crowned the world's hottest chilli by Guinness World Records in 2007.

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