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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, MAY 29: The Army, during overnight operations, has evicted Pakistani intruders from two more positions in Batalik and the key Tiger Hill feature in Drass sub-sectors of Kargil and recovered evidence of Pakistani Army presence in this high-altitude region. The identification card, paybook and other documents of Abdul Ayub, a sepoy in the 4th Battalion Northern Light Infantry, were recovered from a rucksack at a prominent position in Batalik sub-sector.
Intelligence sources said the bodies of 15-20 Pakistani soldiers are on their way to Skardu in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), with the total number of killed estimated at around 90. Reports from the Pakistani interior, however, suggest that the number of dead is around 125, said Maj Gen JJ Singh, Additional Director General Military Operations today.
The total number of dead among the intruders is now estimated at around 300 with about 150 wounded, said Maj Gen Singh. Pakistan lost another four in the attack on Friday on a forward post in theRajouri sector of the Line of Control (LC). The total Army casualties was now 29 killed, 128 wounded, with 12 continuing to remain missing.
The joint operations, being closely coordinated by the Army and the Air Force, has now shrunk the pockets of intrusion by about two kilometers. “The cohesion of groups has now been shattered,” said Maj Gen Singh, while confirming the continued presence of the Pakistan Army’s Special Service Group personnel in four positions. There was, therefore, no let-up in the air strikes on the occupied positions.
The Director Offensive Operations at Air Headquarters, Air Commodore S Bhojwani, while stating that effective counter-measures and change in tactics have been instituted, also said that `air attacks continued, and will continue. The pilots are attacking the positions with determination’. In fact, the Mi-17 helicopters were back over the target area within hours of losing one yesterday. And all helicopters and most of the aircraft conducting air strikes are equippedwith flare dispensors, said South Block sources.
Speaking to the media in Srinagar, meanwhile, the Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen H M Khanna, declared that the situation in the `Drass-Kargil area was almost war-like’. While Pakistan has attempted a qualitative change in the proxy war, India would not like to escalate the situation, he added. If Pakistan did, then Pakistan would not hesitate to respond, he declared. His words were echoed in the spacious South Block conference hall when Maj Gen JJ Singh stated, `Pakistan has initiated this misadventure and we have not fired the last shot’.
