Corpses on mountains
JAMMU, July 7 — Corpses of Pakistani soldiers are scattered in Kargil, Dras, Batalik and other areas.

Marchers await nod to visit Kargil
SRINAGAR, July 7 — To boost the morale of troops and mobilise public opinion, about 200 marchers led by a former MP from UP arrived here from Lucknow after 10 days.

Last rites of 7 martyrs performed
JAMMU, July 7 — The mortal remains of seven martyrs of 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, who laid down their lives fighting intruders in the Batalik sub-sector in Kargil, were cremated and buried at their native places.

2 mercenaries killed in encounter
JAMMU, July 7 — Two Pak soldiers were killed and three others were wounded when Indian troops retaliated following unprovoked mortar shelling resorted to by Pakistani soldiers from across Krishna Ghati in the Poonch sector today.

Corpses on mountains
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 7 — Corpses of Pakistani soldiers are scattered in Kargil, Dras, Batalik and other areas.

Scores of corpses have fallen into gorges. Indian soldiers pass by the bodies.

Sepoy Anwar, of JAK Light Infantry, said wherever he and his fellow soldiers moved found corpses of Pakistani regulars and infiltrators. Anwar was among those who recaptured the Kukerthang peak.

He said "we would have buried them in the plains, but over the icy heights in Batalik or Kargil we cannot carry even half a kg extra weight."

Anwar was in Jammu escorting seven bodies of his fellow soldiers who were killed during the fierce battle for Kukerthang peak said: "We can move with our weapons, ammunition and some essentials only. One begins to gasp owing to oxygen shortage."

He said 11 Pakistani soldiers out of 35 were killed when the Kukerthang peak was recaptured. Pakistani soldiers did not carry the bodies. "It took us three days to carry the bodies of my colleagues" he said.

Official sources said out of over 530 Pakistani soldiers and infiltrators killed till date, more than 450 bodies had not received any burial. At the start of the conflict, India had handed over bodies of three-Pakistani soldiers.

Marchers await nod to visit Kargil
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 7 — To boost the morale of troops and mobilise public opinion, about 200 marchers led by a former MP from UP arrived here from Lucknow after 10 days. Mr Gangacharan Rajput, a BJP leader and former MP from Hamirpur, awaits nod to his visit to Kargil at the head of the marchers.

In the past 10 days, the marchers had special programmes organised at various important historical places from Kakeri, Lucknow to Delhi, Ambala and Jammu. The marchers also had demonstrations outside the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi to impress upon the Pak leadership that the intrusion of armed mercenaries and the Pakistan Army was in violation of the LoC. At least Rs 6 lakh donations from different places were also handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh and 116 units of blood were also donated for the welfare of the troops, those injured and for the kith and kin of those killed in the fight.

Talking to a group of newsmen here this afternoon, Mr Rajput defended the government decision not to hold the Rajya Sabha's special session in view of the Kargil situation. He said this was not necessary in view of the situation. "It is the Cabinet which has to decide on the future course of action under such circumstances", the former BJP MP said. He added that never before had any such session been held. He added that BJPs policy on the dealing with the Kargil situation was positive. He described as wrong Congress assertion that the BJP-led government at the Centre had "misled the nation" on the Kargil situation.

Mr Rajput held that blankets worth Rs 50,000 were also being taken for distribution among the displaced from Kargil district.

He alleged that he was not provided with security cover and accommodation by the state government after the marchers arrived here yesterday.

Last rites of 7 martyrs performed

JAMMU, July 7 (PTI) — The mortal remains of seven martyrs of 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI), who laid down their lives fighting intruders in the Batalik sub-sector in Kargil, were cremated and buried at their native places.

The bodies were received by Minister for Industries and Commerce Bodh Raj Bali, Minister of Sheep Husbandry, S.S. Slathia, Army Station Commander, Brig I.P. Singh, Air Force Commander Capt S.K. Sharma at the Jammu technical airport yesterday.

The bodies received include those of Naik Jugal Kishore of Jhalas village in Poonch district, rifleman Mohammad Farid of Kah-Chamala village in Rajouri district, rifleman Mohammad Aslam of Kalar Md village in Poonch, Havildar Daler Singh Bahu of Pallanwala village in Akhnoor tehsil, Havildar Abdul Karim of a village in Udhampur district, rifleman Rattan Chand of Nandpur village in Samba tehsil and Naik Surjeet Singh of Samilpur village of Jammu district.

Later, the bodies of all martyrs were taken to their respective native places for performing the last rites with full military honours.

2 mercenaries killed in encounter
Tribune News Service and PTI

JAMMU, July 7 — Two Pak soldiers were killed and three others were wounded when Indian troops retaliated following unprovoked mortar shelling resorted to by Pakistani soldiers from across Krishna Ghati in the Poonch sector today.

A Defence Ministry spokesperson said Pakistani armymen resorted to heavy mortar shelling on the Indian posts in the Krishna Ghati area possibly to carve out infiltration route for the militants. The Indian troops retaliated smashing a couple of Pak bunkers in which two Pak armymen were killed and three wounded.

The spokesman said in the Pallanwala area in the Akhnoor sector Pakistani troops opened fire on the Indian pickets. The Indian forces returned the fire and destroyed two Pak bunkers.

He claimed that out of 25 Pakistani armymen killed in Nakial village in the Bhimber Gali sector in Poonch yesterday, 13 were officials of the ISI. These ISI officials had come up to the zero line on the border to organise infiltration of militants into the Poonch sector.

Official sources said two days ago nearly 50 Pak armymen had "raided" an Indian post at Gool Tikri in the Nowshehra area of Rajouri with a view to capturing the post.

There were about 10 Indian soldiers guarding the posts. Since it was a surprise raid, the Indian soldiers had no other alternative but to engage them in a hand-to-hand fight. After one Pak soldier was killed and two others wounded the "raiders" beat a hasty retreat.