Air strikes to wear out intruders
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 27 — The Indian Air Force (IAF) resorted to round-the-clock strikes in the Kargil sector in the past 48 hours as part of its strategy to wear out armed intruders holed up in the icy mountains.

The strikes today were confined to the Batalik and Dras areas, a spokesman for the IAF said.

He said in the past 48 hours the IAF had increased the tempo of its operations and extended its operations beyond sunset.

Unlike the past where the strikes were objective specific and were directed at enemy personnel and supplies spots, the IAF had resorted to random sorties at all times. The idea was to wear the enemy down, sap his energy and prevent him from having a good night’s sleep, the spokesman said.

Simultaneously with the air strikes, ground operations by the Indian Army continued as per its plans both in Batalik and Dras sectors.

An Army spokesman said the softening of enemy positions in the pockets of intrusion had continued through effective employment of artillery, mortar and direct firing weapons.

In the Batalik sector, two enemy sangars (temporary field fortifications) were destroyed by artillery fire and in Dras five enemy sangars were destroyed by automatic grenade launcher and mortar fire. In these operations four enemy soldiers were killed and many wounded.

On the Indian side, the casualties in the past 24 hours were two other ranks killed and one wounded.

The spokesman said in keeping with the Army’s plans to administratively strangle the enemy in the pockets of intrusion, an animal transport column of approximately 30 mules was effectively engaged by artillery and mortar fire close to the Line of Control in the Dras sector. It was estimated that at least 15 persons were manning the mules.

The assessment of the casualties inflicted on the militants and mercenaries, involved in the ongoing operations in the Kargil sector, was 123 militants and mercenaries from various outfits killed and 50 were reported missing. The militants belonged to three outfits, including the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Harkat-ul-Majaihideen and the Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islam.

There were also reliable inputs that the Pakistan army had moved elements of the strategic reserves from Peshawar and Mangla to the occupied Kashmir. "We have taken precautionary measures", the spokesman said.

He said there were also inputs that the Army medical facilities at Skardu had been upgraded to cater to the large number of casualties on the enemy side. It is learnt that the field hospital at Skardu had been upgraded to a combined military hospital and artificial limb centre had also been raised, he added.

The spokesman said there was unprovoked mortar firing in the Keran, Tangdhar, Uri, Rampur, Poonch, Krishnagati, Naushera and Palanwala sectors. The Indian Army had responded adequately and appropriately, he said.

Meanwhile, the exchange of fire between Pakistani Rangers and jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) was also witnessed at various places along the international border since last evening. But no damage was reported from Indian side, BSF sources said.

Fierce hand-to-hand combat and gun battle was going on in Chorbat la in Leh district, the sources said, adding Pakistani troops after suffering a humiliating defeat at Turtok post were targeting some other areas of Leh.