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Journalism of Courage
KARGIL, July 17: The Indian Army here faced little resistance as it advanced to occupy peaks vacated by Pakistani intruders. With the deadline running out today, shoot-at-sight orders have been issued. Similar orders came in from the Mushkoh Valley sub-sector, Drass and Batalik. However, heavy shelling has been reported in the Turtuk sector in the past two days which resulted in the killing of one person.
In New Delhi, Army spokesman Col Bikram Singh refused to confirm whether the status quo ante on the Line of Control LoC had been restored. 8220;We have all reasons to believe that they are well north of the LoC. We will be satisfied only after we physically verify it.8221; The Air Force flew several sorties intensifying reconnaissance missions. Since early this morning, silver-grey specks were visible in the cloudless sky as fighter jets flew air-superiority missions. On the ground, troops who had been camping at the base of several occupied peaks in Mushkoh and Drass began advancing. 8220;We have had no contactwith the companies that have gone up. When their task is complete, they will break the radio silence,8221; an officer in Kargil said. On the fierce artillery exchanges in the Turtuk sector and at the base of Siachen glacier, the officer indicated that Turtuk was not directly a part of the cease-fire plan. 8220;Actually that is where the LoC ceases to exist.
From there, effectively the actual ground position line AGPL begins. The enemy appears to be trying to extend the AGPL with their plans having failed in Mushkoh, Drass, Kaksar, Kargil and Batalik-Yaldor areas,8221; he added.
Officers are keeping their fingers crossed. 8220;At the ground level, initially there was some confusion about the expiry of the deadline. More so because of some wireless intercepts where the fleeing enemy soldiers were trying to confirm the deadline,8221; said another officer. The observation posts have reported enemy withdrawal in a phased manner. 8220;Not all the intruders fled like a flock of sheep. We can now draw a pattern in theirwithdrawal. Their bulk of troops left in the past three days, carrying whatever arms and ammunition they thought was essential. Then they waited for the rest of the troops to catch up, often leaving just one or two soldiers manning heavy machine guns to cover their rear. Now the last of the troops are withdrawing, burning or abandoning their stores and mining their entire departure route,8221; said an infantry officer.
Today with the advancing troops, a team of engineers also advanced. The engineers will first scan for mines and then defuse them. Giving examples of peaks already recovered, an officer said that the fleeing enemy did not even bury the anti-personnel mines.
8220;They are just leaving them on the track or hiding them under loose rocks so as soon as our soldiers step on the rock, the mine explodes. But we are taking all precautions and within a day or two will have a clear picture on the enemy withdrawal,8221; he added.
Col Singh reiterated that there is no question of extending the deadline onceagain. This morning, the Directors General of Military Operations DGMOs had a telephonic conversation, primarily about the withdrawal.
