50 Pak Troops, 5 Indians Killed In Exchange Of Fire

An estimated 50 Pakistani troops and 5 Indians including a major were killed in heavy exchange of artillery and small-arm fire since Friday in Kargil, Uri and Kupwara sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, escalating tension along the line of actual control, defence sources said yesterday.

A major, a jawan and three civilians were killed in Pakistani firing.

Smoke and fire was seen coming from Pakistani army camps and forward bases close to the line of actual control after they were shelled by the Indian army, defence sources said. At least 24 Pakistani bunkers were completely destroyed and another 12 damaged.

A number of Pakistani posts including Dhalwan, Marol, Brachil, Nadim, Karim, Chesma and Olithing-Thang along the border have suffered extensive damage, they said, adding that these posts formed part of the Pakistani brigade located at Skardu and Mini-Marg, opposite Kargil sector.

While small arm firing between the two sides have been taking place in these sectors for the last one week without any casualties, these skirmishes finally escalated to heavy artillery and mortar shelling on August 22 by Pakistani army forcing Indian forces to retaliate.

Heavy exchange of artillery and small arm fire has continued in most of these sectors since.

Sources said that with foreign secretary level talks between the two countries scheduled for next month, Pakistani army generals wanted to vitiate the atmosphere in a bid to scuttle attempts by their political leadership to negotiate peace between the two neighbours.

Defence sources said that as a result, the Pakistani army has started indiscriminate and unprovoked firing all along the line of control in general, and in the Uri and Kargil sectors in particular. 'Going by the sheer magnitude of firing it is obvious that it has the approval of the top hierarchy of the Pakistan army which is against the sincere efforts of the new government in that country to bring in peace and tranquillity in the sub-continent,' they said.

Another factor for the unprovoked Pakistani firing could be that the authorities there wanted to keep the Kashmir issue alive during the forthcoming session of the United Nations general assembly, they said.

About the situation along the borders in Rajouri, Poonch and Jammu sectors, sources in armys northern command headquarters in Udhampur said intermittent exchange of light arm firing was also on at some places along the line of control and international border in these sectors.

The Indian army, the sources said, could not be expected to be mute spectators to such brazen acts of provocation committed by Pakistan and 'we have to safeguard life and property of our people and maintain sanctity of our borders'.

Pakistani troops using heavy weapons had shelled four villages and the airport in Kargil district from April 9 to 13 this year which left two women dead and nine other civilians wounded. The authorities had then evacuated the civilian population to safer places after 50 houses were damaged in the affected villages of Poryan, Balti Bazar, Acchabal, Sili and Kichey in the district due to Pakistani shelling.