• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=5/24/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249709
TITLE=INDIA/KASHMIR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: FIGHTING CONTINUES ON THE KASHMIR BORDER BETWEEN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN. INDIA SAYS IT IS BATTLING TO EVICT PAKISTANI 
INFILTRATORS FROM A SECTION OF THE CEASEFIRE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO
NATIONS. 
TEXT: INDIA'S TOP ARMY OFFICIALS BRIEFED PRIME MINISTER ATAL 
BEHARI VAJPAYEE MONDAY ON THE ONGOING FIGHTING IN KASHMIR. 
EARLIER (ON SUNDAY) ARMY CHIEF V.P. MALIK VISITED KASHMIR TO 
ASSESS THE SITUATION ON THE BORDER WHERE INDIAN TROOPS ARE 
FIGHTING ARMED INFILTRATORS.
NO DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE. BUT THE PRIME MINISTER'S NATIONAL 
SECURITY ADVISER, BRIJESH MISHRA, TOLD A PRIVATE TELEVISION 
NETWORK, STAR T-V, THAT INFILTRATORS PLANNED TO EXPAND THE REGION
OCCUPIED BY PAKISTAN.  MR. MISHRA SAYS THE INDIAN ARMY IS TRYING 
TO ELIMINATE THE INFILTRATORS. 
THE INDIAN ARMY SAYS IT HAS LAUNCHED ITS LARGEST MILITARY 
OPERATION IN RECENT YEARS, CALLED "OPERATION FLUSH OUT," TO 
REMOVE ABOUT 300 INFILTRATORS WHO HAVE OCCUPIED HIGH MOUNTAIN 
PEAKS IN THE KARGIL REGION. KARGIL LIES ABOUT 200 KILOMETERS 
NORTHEAST OF KASHMIR'S SUMMER CAPITAL, SRINAGAR.
THE FACE-OFF IN KARGIL BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN STARTED TWO 
WEEKS AGO WHEN THE INDIAN ARMY SAYS IT SPOTTED THE INFILTRATORS. 
THE ARMY HAS  NOT  CLARIFIED WHO THE INFILTRATORS ARE -- BUT SAYS
THEY ARE MUSLIM MILITANTS BACKED BY PAKISTANI SOLDIERS FIRING 
HEAVY ARTILLERY. THEY SAY RECENT SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATE 
ABOUT 300 INFILTRATORS ARE HOLDING GROUND ON RIDGES AS HIGH AS 
5,000 METERS. 
DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY INDIAN SOLDIERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO ENCIRCLE 
AND CLOSE THE ESCAPE ROUTE OF THE INFILTRATORS. 
A DEFENSE ANALYST AT THE INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE STUDIES AND 
ANALYSIS, MR. SREEDHAR (ONE NAME ONLY), SAYS THE MILITARY ACTION 
IS LIKELY TO LAST FOR THREE TO FOUR WEEKS.
                    ///INSERT SREEDHAR ACT///
         THE INFILTRATORS HAVE TO BE PUSHED BACK, OR CAPTURED OR 
         LIQUIDATED. SINCE THE NUMBER SEEMS TO BE LARGE, RUNNING 
         INTO HUNDREDS, WE WILL BE SORT OF DEPLOYING LARGE NUMBER
         OF TROOPS TO CAPTURE AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE LIVE.
                     ///END SREEDHAR ACT///
PAKISTAN HAS BLAMED INDIA FOR WHAT IT CALLS "UNWARRANTED MILITARY
ACTION" IN KASHMIR.                                              
INDIAN AND PAKISTANI SOLDIERS ROUTINELY EXCHANGE FIRE ALONG THE 
LINE OF CONTROL THAT DIVIDES THE TWO NATIONS -- BUT THE RECENT 
FLARE-UP IS MORE SERIOUS.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT TWO OF THEIR THREE WARS OVER 
KASHMIR.  BOTH COUNTRIES CLAIM THE HIMALAYAN REGION. (SIGNED)
NEB/AP/LTD/KL
24-May-99 8:50 AM EDT (1250 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.