MUSHKOH VALLEY, JULY 10: After a fierce fight, the Indian troops today recovered the last major peak, Rocky Knob, in Mushkoh Valley. Intensive artillery action will continue unabated until the area is cleared.Field commanders and company commanders are on alert while Observation Posts watch out for intruders. To keep casualties to a minimum, the Army may let the intruders flee but follow them until the Line of Control to ensure that the area has been cleared.Sources say the strategy of allowing the intruders to flee was also successfully used in capturing Muntho Dhalo. Once the major points - Jubar Hills, Kukarthang Peak and Khalubar - were recovered, the Army saw that infiltrators started leaving Muntho Dhalo on their own. ``We permitted them to flee. There was no hot pursuit. We recovered the area while saving the lives of our men,'' an officer said. The Rocky Knob, the officers say, was also recovered without a single casualty on the Indian side.Meanwhile, Pakistan did not show any signs ofwithdrawing with intensified artillery shelling. The infantry, however, continued to make advances today with the heavy rainfall providing them cover, along with artillery firing.Extensive and effective air strikes in the morning also cleared the way up for the infantry. The Air Force put Mirage, Mig-23 and Mig-27 aircraft into action. The Army said that mine-clearing operations were on at most of the recovered peaks. ``The infiltrators have fled, abandoning their bunkers but not before laying mines in most of them,'' an officer said. Top
