US EDITION
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Air strikes continue

Despite bad weather air strikes were carried out against infiltrators in the Kargil sector this morning as heavy artillery exchange was reported on the Line of Control.

Air missions continued for the seventh day although the weather has been bad for the past 48 hours, an Indian Air Force spokesman said.

Pakistani troops have been resorting to heavy firing from across the LoC since last night. The Indian Army has been firing back.

Army sources denied Islamabad press reports that the Pakistani army troops had repulsed three attacks by Indian soldiers along the border.

The Indian Army said it had further consolidated its gains and was closing in on the 'fallback positions' occupied by the intruders.

The Indian Air Force has brought in the Mirage 2000 fighter into the operations but the planes, which have superior capabilities for electronic warfare, were not being used for attacks.

Preventive measures were being taken to ensure that Pakistan does not disturb the Line of Control elsewhere.

The ground situation is being closely monitored.

Pakistan's defensive formations along the border had been ordered to move to their operational areas but this appeared to be only a precautionary measure.

Armed intruders, mainly Pakistan army regulars and Afghan mercenaries, had some key positions at vantage points.

Efforts were on to encircle the positions in order to stop any reinforcements from reaching the intruders, the army said.

The infiltrators are now occupying four to five key positions in the Batalik sub-sector, three in Drass and small pockets in the Mushkoh valley.

Elsewhere the Indian troops had evicted them from the forward positions and the intruders have been forced to withdraw into the hinterland, the army said.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report