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Pak attempt to grab Turtok region foiled

Air attacks were launched today after two days of bad weather as ground troops, after fierce fighting, gained more ground in the Kargil sector where 267 Pakistan army soldiers have allegedly been killed in flushing-out operations.

With the death of Captain Amol Kalia and 13 of his jawans while trying to get back a key position in the Batalik sub-sector yesterday, the casualties among Indian troops have allegedly risen to 86 dead, 220 wounded and eight missing in action. The Indian army also claimed it had learnt of a 'sinister design' by Pakistan to grab Turtok region and adjacent areas. Adequate steps were being taken to foil it, Col Bikram Singh of the directorate general of military operations said at a briefing this evening.

The Pakistani plan allegedly was in four phases. First, to infiltrate militants into the area to subvert locals and initiate insurgency, next to launch operations to occupy critical areas around Turtok, then to launch heli-borne and airborne operations in India's rear areas to assist ground operations and, lastly, to declare Turtok and its adjacent areas as part of Pakistan's northern areas.

Col Singh said the detection of the plot led to the arrest of 12 militants and recovery of a large quantity of weapons recently.

Replying to a question, Col Singh said there would still be 600 to 700 intruders on Indian territory because the Pakistanis had sent in reinforcements when they had suffered casualties. Col Singh said Indian troops, helped by the resumption of the air strikes, had consolidated their gains in the Kargil sector.

''We have sent out our patrols... They are inching forward... It's going to be a time-consuming operation. But we are taking them on the entire front," he said.

He said with the air attacks, artillery shelling and mortar firing, the troops were pressurising the infiltrators in Drass, Batalik and Mushkoh valley. The infantry colonel said it would, however, be impossible to give a time frame as to when the Indian troops would achieve their objective since the terrain was difficult and the approaches and ridges were still controlled by the infiltrators. The army has recovered 19 AK series rifles, one sniper rifle, one light machine gun, one medium machine gun, one rocket launcher and two pistols. More arrests and recoveries were likely, Col Singh said.

Meanwhile, unprovoked mortar firing by Pakistan was reported at Machal, Karen, Kandhar, Uri, Poonch, Rajouri and Krishnaghati areas which were responded to by the Indian troops, Col Singh said.

Group Captain K Rajaram, joint director of operations, said air attacks were carried out in Mushkoh valley once again today since the weather had cleared. Because of the clear weather, targets at greater ranges had been identified, resulting in more accuracy. The targets were mainly the logistic camps of infiltrators and the pilots had reported that the strikes were successful, he said.

Replying to a question, he said pilots had reported that the Pakistanis were using anti-aircraft fire against Indian planes. Col Singh said efforts were continuing to trace the whereabouts of the eight army personnel who were missing after patrols went out on three different dates. ''We have every reason to believe that they have been taken prisoners and are being treated as per the Geneva Convention," Col Singh said, adding that the Indian army had contacted with their Pakistani counterparts on the issue but had not heard from them yet.

To a question, he said the army did not have with them any reports of Indians being killed in 'friendly fire'. He denied that a colonel of the Indian army had been transferred for failure to control the situation in Kargil sector. A brigadier, he agreed, had been posted out but that was because he had been 'side-stepped' in the northern command itself.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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