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Jubar Heights captured, enemy camp destroyed

A battalion of the Bihar Regiment captured Jubar Height and Point 4268 in Batalik sector in intense overnight fighting, while Indian Air Force fighter planes destroyed a Pakistani logistic camp west of Tiger Hill in Dras sector today.

The occupation of the strategic Jubar Height and Point 4268 position followed the significant gains made yesterday after the capture of Khalubar, Point 4812 and Dog Hill and gave Indian troops more launch pads to strike at other pockets of intrusion in the Batalik sector.

''But the enemy is giving strong resistance. There is not the slightest sign of a withdrawal,'' Army Spokesman Col Bikram Singh said at a briefing in New Delhi.

The concentrated attack, and success, by the fighter planes on the logistic camp west of Tiger Hill was significant as it was a tactically important one for the Pakistanis, Group Captain K Rajaram, Joint Director of Air Operations, said.

The formation was led by a young flt lieutenant and it scored a direct hit.

''The IAF is a mature service, not easily given to hyperbole. But in the case of this attack, and in particular to describe the state of this target, the word obliterated does come to mind. The strike force encountered surface-to-air missiles in this attack but pushed through the strikes nevertheless'', Gp Capt Rajaram said.

Air strikes were also carried out in the Mushkoh valley.

That the intruders were still giving resistance could be gauged from the fact that they had carried out two counter attacks during the last few days. Both were repulsed easily by Indian troops. But there was no question of fresh intrusions, Col Singh said.

He said the identification of two Pakistani army officers -- Maj Asim Ahmed, company commander of 6 Northern Light Infantry and Capt Syed Asher Mehboob of 11 Northern Light Infantry -- in Batalik sector had confirmed that 11 NLI was also involved in the infiltration along with 2,3,4,5,6 and 7 battalions.

Replying to a question, Col Singh said the Indian Army was burying the bodies of Pakistani soldiers because they were not being claimed despite the fact that there was documentary proof that they were all professional soldiers and belonged to the Northern Light Infantry.

''We have a long standing tradition of giving respect to the enemy's dead. They are being buried with Muslim rites and by a moulvi,'' he added.

In Srinagar, official sources said troops were engaged in fierce gun battles in all areas of Kargil, Drass, Batalik and Mushkoh sectors.

They said Pak intruders suffered heavy casualties in the ongoing operations in these areas.

Sources said the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery and mortar shelling on Indian positions in the Nowshera sector last evening. Indian forces also retaliated and the exchange continued for several hours.

They said a junior commissioned officer and a jawan of the Pakistani army were killed in retaliatory shelling by the Indian troops.

The Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked heavy shelling in Gurez and Boniyar areas last evening. They targeted an army installation and civilians.

Two security personnel were killed in shelling by the Pakistani troops from across the border in Gurez, while one jawan lost his life at Boniyar when a shell hit him last evening.

Sources said the Indian troops also retaliated, targeting the Pakistan army installations. Casualties suffered by the Pak troops were not immediately known.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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