18 troopers lost since Sept 29, Pak toll more

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, november 22

In the past fifty-three days after the September 29 ‘surgical strike’, India and Pakistan have been locked in a tit-for-tat firing along the Line of Control (LoC). 

   India has lost 18 of its troops — that includes the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF), while Pakistan is estimated to have lost more men even as it downplays its own casualties.

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Today, when reports filtered in that three Army men have lost their lives at Machil close to the Line of Control in the Kashmir valley, the death toll for the Army reached 13 martyrs, either killed by firing from across the LoC by Pakistan army or by militants aided by the Pakistan army.

Pakistan has publically admitted to 13-14 deaths of its own, though the Indian assessment based on ground reports from local informers and radio intercepts is that Pakistan has lost 24 soldiers.

Even this morning when the encounter with militants was on in Machil, Pakistan army was giving cover fire, sources said, adding that the LoC has been ‘very active’ as the snow will soon close down the high passes in the Himalayas. 

“Be aggressive” is the message to formation commanders on ground, who have been told to respond to all ceasefire violations. The decision of time of strike is left to the local units while the nature of weapons has been small arms and mortars. 

There have been some 400 violations of the November 2003 ceasefire.  Not only have the number of violations gone up,  the intensity and periodicity is up several notches across the LoC and the 198-km international boundary.