Chandigarh 8212; Headlines

Army makes major gains in Kargil
Indian armed forces made significant gains8217; by further closing in on areas occupied by heavily armed Pakistani intruders in Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, even as the infiltrators abandoned two key positions in the Mushkoh sub-sector on Sunday night in the face of offensive manoeuvres. Indian Air Force jets continued their strikes through the night for the sixth day causing heavy damage to positions held by the intruders.

Sartaj Aziz8217;s visit accepted
India today accepted Pakistan8217;s offer to send its foreign minister Sartaj Aziz to New Delhi for talks on the Kargil crisis, even as it accused the government of Pakistan8217; of engineering8217; the infiltration along the Line of Control. The considerable hardening of position is a clear departure from the exoneration of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Defence Minister George Fernandes some days ago. It is aimed not only at setting the tone of the dialogue with Aziz, but also at sending a message to Islamabad that there is no failure of nerve8217; in New Delhi.

13 killed in Delhi fire
At least 13 persons, including four children, were charred to death and more than 50 sustained severe burns in a devastating fire in the congested walled city in Delhi this evening. The fire which was first noticed around 3.55 p.m. at the office of a transport company in a building at the crowded Lal Kuan area of the old city fanned swiftly by heavy winds engulfing three more buildings in the vicinity. While 12 persons died on the spot, one succumbed to the injuries on way to INJP hospital.