Operation Vijay changes tack to target intruders' supply lines
Observer Political Bureau
The Observer
June 19, 1999
Title: Operation Vijay changes tack to target intruders' supply lines
Author: Observer Political Bureau
Publication: The Observer
Date: June 19, 1999
The Indian Army on Friday reportedly engaged and fired upon a Pakistan
Army camp in the Skardu region killing five persons, including a
Pakistani Army Major, even as Indian warplanes continued to bomb
targets of Pakistan-backed infiltrators in the Kargil sector.
Indian Army spokesman Col Vikram Singh confirmed that the supply lines
of the infiltrators were being targeted, but said that the firing from
the Indian side was taking place strictly within the Line of Control
(LoC).
He said that "all military targets in Pakistan," which were
interfering with the Indian Army's task of evicting the intruders,
were being fired upon.
Sources, quoting wireless intercepts, said that heavy damage had been
inflicted on the camp where there was a large concentration of
Pakistani troops in Skardu region. It was also reported that
Pakistani commanders were sending SOS messages suggesting immediate
withdrawal from the area after the Indian troops raised their level of
attack.
An External Affairs Ministry spokesman, meanwhile, said that Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had written a letter to US President
Bill Clinton in response to the telephonic conversation between the
two leaders a few days back.
He said that the letter had been delivered in Geneva to US National
Security advisor Sandy Berger by Prime Minister's Principal Secretary
Brijesh Mishra.
Replying to questions, the spokes-man said that India had made it
clear that the intrusion by Pakistan, which amounted to aggression and
was the basic cause of the conflict in Kargil, had to be vacated
before any dialogue could be held with Islamabad.
He said that New Delhi was also clear that the LoC, which flowed out
the 1972 Simla Agreement, must be respected by Pakistan and status quo
ante restored.
Referring to a statement issued by the Japanese embassy, he said that
the Government was in touch with Japan and was trying to clear any
lack in perception on the Kargil issue.
He said that there had been universal appreciation of India's
perception regarding the Pakistani incursion and what actually
happened there.
The Japanese embassy's statement had said that while Japan did not
have "sufficient means to verify whether the militants who have
infiltrated to the Indian side are backed by the Pakistani regular
forces," it asked New Delhi and Islamabad to respect the LoC.
To a question on a statement by Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina
calling for a dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad on the Kargil
issue, the spokesman said that scope for any dialogue, which could
begin after the Pakistani incursion, had ended and had to be within
the framework of the Lahore Declaration and the Simla Agreement.
Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said that he "did no foresee a
large-scale war with Pakistan" when asked if Kashmir could provoke a
war between the nuclear-capable rivals. He said that he saw no sign
of withdrawal by the armed guerrillas either. "The simplest way to
de-escalate is to reverse the intrusion. If they withdraw, it is
de-escalation. At Present, I do not see any glimpse of that," Mr
Singh said.
He, however, added that India would move ahead in its focused military
campaign. "Basically, the aggression shall be vacated. Let there be
no doubt about it whatsoever," he said.
Mr Singh said that India believed in nuclear non-aggression. "We are
ready to talk about no-first-use being a global commitment. India's
minimum (nuclear) deterrence means no first use and no use against
non-nuclear weapons states," he said.
Meanwhile, Indian troops and the air force pushed ahead with their
weeks-old offensive in mountainous northern Kashmir against the
infiltrators.
An air force spokesman said that warplane bombing runs continued on
Friday.
The heaviest fighting was in Drass, Batalik and Kargil, close to the
LoC.
Four army personnel, including three sector Rashtriya Rifles Captain
were killed and 10 others critically wounded in two powerful landmine
explosions on Srinagar-Leh national highway in the wee hours on
Friday, an official spokesman said here.
He said that the landmines, laid by militants on the highway, 40 km
from Srinagar, went off when a road opening patrol of army was on move
to clear the road for a Kargil-bound army convoy.
An army vehicle was blown up and four jawans were seriously wounded in
the first explosion at around 6 am.
As reinforcements reached the site, militants detonated another mine
blowing up another vehicle, killing the Captain, two jawans of five
Rashtriya Rifles and a jawan of Army Supply Corp, besides seriously
injuring six others, he said.
Pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen telephoned news offices in Srinagar
claiming responsibility for the blasts.
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