Army captures Batalik ridge

KARGIL, JUNE 27: Troops have killed seven Pakistani regulars belonging to the Delta Company of Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry in th...

KARGIL, JUNE 27: Troops have killed seven Pakistani regulars belonging to the Delta Company of Pakistan8217;s 7 Northern Light Infantry in the Batalik sector and captured a strategic ridge in the area.

Colonel Avtar Singh, in charge of the operations in Batalik and Kaksar sectors, said here today the airstrikes in the area have already helped the army cut the enemy8217;s supply lines. He said infiltrators had occupied four ridge lines, one of which the troops had already cleared.

8220;So far, we are satisfied with the current speed of the operations. We would like more air strikes, especially after yesterday8217;s experience. We have reports that the strikes were highly accurate8221;.

He said the Army fighting the infiltrators in the Batalik sector have sought more air strikes for recapture of three other strategic areas in the sector. The officer said the army has suffered 78 casualties including six officers in Batalik, while about 200 troops were injured and six missing. Altogether 103 infiltrators have died in thesector, he said, adding their bodies were counted from the Observation Posts.

Col Singh said a majority of the 200-300 infiltrators occupying heights were Pakistani army regulars. 8220;In an operation a few hours ago, seven Pak regulars were killed. They belonged to the Delta Company of the 7 Northern Light Infantry. All of them were wearing track suits8221;. He displayed paybooks, identity cards and some letters/applications of Pakistani regulars. One application was addressed to the commander of 7 Northern Light Infantry by a sweeper in the Pak army, Shakur Ali, requesting the commander to accommodate him as a sepoy. 8220;Perhaps the sweeper had been sent as an infiltrator even before induction as a sepoy8221;, he said and added that the identity card of another Pakistani regular, Rous Ahmed, was recovered from his body. He also displayed defence sheets giving details of logistics of Pakistani troops near the Ehsan post.

Col Singh reiterated that no Indian post was captured by the infiltrators. 8220;These were unheldareas and there are many areas not manned by either country8221;, he added.

He said on basis of intercepts, the army has concluded that the Special Services Group of Pakistan army was active in the area under the garb of infiltrators.

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He said 70 per cent of the job was over for the army in the Batalik sector and added it was ready to carry out the operations even during the winter. He said Batalik town was still unsafe as the enemy was using 5.5 inch guns and firing rockets.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More