Peace returns to northern sector as Pak hoists white flag

Indian guns fell silent in the Uri, Nowgam and Kupwara sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistani troops hoisted a white flag on Thursday.

(On Friday, however, Pak troops resorted to heavy artillery and mortar fire in Tangdar and Siachen. Indian troops responded in a 'restrained manner'. No casualties are reported.)

Though the exact number of casualties in India's retaliatory action are not known, army officials put the number between ''45 and 50.'' About 124 Pakistani bunkers and a few arms dumps are also reported to be damaged.

"They hoisted a white flag opposite a forward post in Uri on Thursday morning," said Brigadier Ashok Kapoor of 15 Corps, briefing pressmen in Srinagar, "Some ambulances could be seen moving in the vicinity -- obviously, they wanted to evacuate their dead and injured."

Brigadier Kapoor said the army had strict orders from New Delhi to hold fire. "However, when we are attacked and our civilian population made a target, we have to retaliate," he said.

Countering the Pakistani allegation that some civilians were killed in the Indian firing, he said: "Our targets were military installations only, but we cannot rule out civilian casualties near army posts."

Indians guns had opened up on Wednesday, following heavy unprovoked shelling in the three sectors. This had come just a day after Pak cannons found the heart of Kargil town, Ladakh sector, killing 17 civilians.

A defence ministry spokesman said, in Uri, after a six-hour exchange of heavy arms fire, about 45 Pakistani bunkers were completely destroyed while 21 others suffered partial damage. In Kupwara, another 39 bunkers were severely damaged. Nineteen others suffered partial damage.

"A few ammunition dumps were also destroyed in both the sectors," the spokesman said, "Some are still smouldering from damaged supply points across the border."

The Indian casualties, he said, were four -- all were hurt from flying splinters. "Some of our bunkers have also suffered major damage," he added.

UNI

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