Victory is near, says PM
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 10 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today declared that Operation Vijay launched by the Indian defence forces to push back Pakistani intruders from the Kargil sector had reached a turning point and that the aggression had been decisively turned back.

"A turning point has come Operation Vijay is going to be a great victory,’’ Mr Vajpayee told the media at the South Bloc after coming out from a briefing by the Army commanders on the latest situation in Kargil.

Earlier, addressing the Army commanders, Mr Vajpayee asserted that the intrusion and aggression in Kargil had "now been decisively turned back.’’

He said most pockets had already been cleared and that Indian troops were back on the Line of Control.

"The remaining pockets will also be cleared. Residual Pakistani forces will leave or be evicted from south of the LoC in the entire Kargil sector,’’ he said.

In his brief interaction with the media, when asked if a time-frame could be fixed as to when the operation would conclude, Mr Vajpayee said these details were to be worked out.

However, the Prime Minister parried questions on whether his Pakistani counterpart had been in touch with him after the Clinton-Nawaz Sharif joint statement.

The Prime Minister, was briefed by top Army commanders for 35 minutes. The briefing was attended by the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, the National Security Adviser, Mr Brajesh Mishra, the three Services chiefs and other senior military and civil officials.

Operation Vijay had given the nation great victory and described it as a "historic moment" for every one.

Mr Vajpayee paid his tributes and homage to the soldiers and airmen of the country who fought, laid down their lives or were wounded to achieve the victory.

"To them the nation owes an everlasting debt of gratitude’’, he said.

The Prime Minister also placed on record the "great appreciation and admiration of the entire nation’’ for the outstanding valour, determination and military skill that had been demonstrated in Operation Vijay.

"I know how impossible the terrain is. I also know what great demands were placed on the sense of dedication of our troops who come from all states of our country. We asked of them to achieve extremely difficult tasks. These they fulfilled in more than abundant measure. I share with the braved families their grief. I give them a commitment that their welfare is my bounden duty’’.

The Prime Minister complimented the defence forces and said that Operation Vijay would go down in the annals of Indian military history as another outstanding example of the valour, discipline and dedication of the armed forces.

11 Pak soldiers among 43
killed across LoC

JAMMU, July 10 (PTI) — Indian troops today achieved yet another major success in destroying several newly created "launching pads’’ of militants and bunkers, besides killing 37 Pakistani soldiers and militants and wounding 63 others in retaliatory action across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu division, a defence spokesman said here.

Six Pakistani civilians were also killed and eight others injured on the other side of the border during the exchange of firing and shelling today, he said.

He said there was no casualty on the Indian side.

Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar fire in Krishna Ghatti and Bhimber Gali sub-sectors this morning forcing Indian troops to retaliate effectively.

The Indian troops destroyed three "launching pads’’ of the militants in retaliatory fire opposite these sectors, he said, adding 20 militants were killed and 46 wounded in the intense fight.

Eleven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 17 others injured during these firing exchanges, he said and added two Pakistani civilians were also killed and three injured near the border during these skirmishes.