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Pakistan launches attacks on Indian positions at LoC

Josy Joseph in Delhi

The Line of Control has witnessed enhanced action with Pakistani forces making unsuccessful attempts to capture protective patrol positions, which are tactically important posts detached from the main defence on the Indian side of the LoC. According to sources, both sides have suffered heavy casualties, but there is no official confirmation of this.

Army headquarters on Wednesday said the Pakistani side launched attacks on August 31 and September 1 at various posts. These attacks were made on protective patrol positions in Kachrial at Palanwala in the Akhnoor sector, the Hamirpur battalion in the Rajouri sector and the Radha battalion in the Naugam area.

"Heavy firing preceded the Akhnoor operation by Pakistan," army sources said.

Sources said Pakistan had also launched attacks at certain positions in Turtuk. The Turturk subsector, renamed the Haneefuddin subsector after Kargil martyr Lieutenant Haneefuddin, is located near the Siachen glacier. A successful Pakistani bid can cut off the glacier from the rest of the country.

According to unconfirmed reports, the Indian army suffered more than 10 casualties; Pakistan too suffered an equal number of casualties. This is the first major attempt by Pakistan to attack Indian army posts near LoC after the Kargil operations. According to army sources the situation along the LoC is tense and "intermittent firing is going on".

The security forces, meanwhile, claim major successes in the Kashmir valley with a change in operational tactics. The army and police have launched joint operations with a high degree of success.

In the last three days the security agencies have gunned down 28 militants, several of them foreign mercenaries, in various parts of the valley. In Kupwara, where an increase in militant activity has been evident in recent weeks, two foreign mercenaries were killed on August 28 by the army while they were trying to cross the LoC near Bari Baikh. Two AK rifles, six grenades, two remote control devices and ammunition were recovered from them.

Six terrorists were killed at Gopulpura Kalan village in Anantnag by army troops. Five AK rifles and assorted ammunition was recovered. The same day security forces gunned down a militant at Baramulla.

Army commandos gunned down nine militants at Haphruda in Kupwara on Sunday, August 29. Eight AK rifles, four pistols, 45 hand-grenades, one radio set and ammunition were recovered from them. Central police forces shot a foreign mercenary in Kupwara the same day.

On Monday, August 30, nine terrorists were killed in counter-insurgency operations. Three terrorists were killed at Chattamar, Kupwara, in an encounter with the Gorkha Rifles, two militants were gunned down by 9 Rashtriya Rifles jawans at Anantnag, and 27 Madras killed three militants in Poonch. Another one was killed by 1 RR in Bari Baikh.

In Kupwara, at least two brigades have moved in, to counter the militants. Sources said an increased vigil has been mounted all over the valley

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