DATE=5/28/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249929
TITLE=INDO / PAK / KASHMIR (L UPDATE)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INDIA SAYS ONE OF ITS HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS WAS SHOT DOWN
ON FRIDAY AS FIERCE BATTLES RAGED ALONG MOUNTAIN RIDGES ON THE
INDIAN SIDE OF THE KASHMIR VALLEY. ON THURSDAY INDIA LOST TWO
MIG FIGHTER AIRCRAFT WHEN ONE CRASHED AFTER EXPERIENCING ENGINE
PROBLEMS AND ANOTHER WAS SHOT DOWN BY PAKISTANI FORCES. VOA'S
JIM TEEPLE REPORTS THAT DESPITE THE LOSSES THE INDIAN FORCES ARE
SUFFERING, INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY THEY ARE INFLICTING EVEN HEAVIER
LOSSES ON THE "INFILTRATORS" THEY SAY ARE BACKED BY PAKISTAN.
TEXT: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS SAY THE HELICOPTER WAS HIT BY A
STINGER MISSILE AS IT FIRED ON DEEPLY ENTRENCHED GUERRILLA
POSITIONS. ALL FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD THE RUSSIAN BUILT MI-17
HELICOPTER WERE KILLED AS IT BURST INTO FLAMES AND TUMBLED DOWN A
STEEP RIDGE.
INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY THE MISSILE THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE
HELICOPTER WAS FIRED FROM INSIDE INDIAN KASHMIR. AN ALLIANCE OF
KASHMIRI MILITANT GROUPS BASED IN PAKISTAN IMMEDIATELY CLAIMED
RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE ACTION. INDIAN AIR VICE-MARSHALL S-K MALIK
SAYS FIERCE BATTLES ARE RAGING IN INDIAN KASHMIR AND INDIA IS
PREPARED TO ACCEPT LOSSES.
// INSERT MALIK ACTUALITY //
IT IS A LOSS NO D0UBT, BUT YOU MUST APPRECIATE THAT IN
WAR OR IN A CONFLICT LIKE THIS THERE WILL BE THINGS
THROWN AT YOU. SO WE EXPECT THAT IT IS NOT THAT YOU CAN
EXPECT TO COME OUT OF THIS TOTALLY CLEAN. WHEN YOU ARE
ATTACKING SOMEBODY, HE IS GOING TO FIRE BACK AT YOU.
THERE WILL BE SOME LOSSES WE WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT.
// END ACTUALITY //
VICE-MARSHALL MALIK SAYS COMMANDERS ON THE GROUND ARE REVIEWING
THEIR OPTIONS FOR EVICTING THE INFILTRATORS, BUT HE HAS RULED OUT
ANY CROSS-BORDER RAIDS AGAINST PAKISTANI BASES ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE BORDER.
ARMY COMMANDERS SAY THEY HAVE KILLED NEARLY A THIRD OF THE
ESTIMATED 600 INFILTRATORS THEY SAY ENTERED INDIAN KASHMIR
EARLIER THIS YEAR. ARMY COMMANDERS REFUSE TO SAY HOW MANY TROOPS
ARE BATTLING THE INFILTRATORS, EXCEPT THAT THE OPERATION IS THE
LARGEST THEY HAVE LAUNCHED IN DECADES. MAJOR GENERAL J-J SINGH
SAYS THE INFILTRATORS ARE BEING PUSHED BACK BUT THEY ARE
FORMIDABLE OPPONENTS.
// INSERT SINGH ACTUALITY //
THERE IS A POSTION BEING OCCUPIED BY TEN TO FIFTEEN
PEOPLE AND THAT POSITION CAN STAND AGAINST MANY NUMBER
OF THE ATTACKERS. SO IT IS NOT A NUMBERS GAME. IF
THEY ARE WELL TRAINED AND WELL LED THEY CAN HOLD ON TO A
POSITION. OUR TACTICS ARE NOT TO HURRY UP THE
OPERATIONS REGARDLESS OF CASUALTIES. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY
CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE UNECESSARY CASULTIES
AND WE WILL CLEAR THESE POSITION IN VERY CAREFUL
DELIBERATE OPERATIONS WHICH COULD TAKE SOME TIME.
// END ACTUALITY //
ARMY COMMANDERS SAY IT COULD TAKE THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO FLUSH
ALL THE INFILTRATORS OUT. THEY ACCUSE PAKISTAN OF DIRECTLY
SUPPLYING THE INFILTRATORS AND IN SOME CASES ALLOWING PAKISTANI
ARMY REGULARS TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE THE INFILTRATORS -- A CHARGE
PAKISTAN DENIES.
// OPT // MEANWHILE PAKISTAN'S DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER
(DEPUTY-AMBASSADOR) WAS SUMMONED TO INDIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY ON
FRIDAY AND TOLD IF PAKISTAN HAS AN INDIAN PILOT, AS IT CLAIMS, TO
RETURN HIM TO INDIA AS WELL AS THE BODY OF ANOTHER PILOT KILLED
ON THURSDAY. INDIA DENIES THAT THE TWO MIGS DOWNED ON THURSDAY
STRAYED INTO PAKISTANI TERRITORY. // END OPT //
PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE MET WITH HIS CABINET AND
MILITARY COMMANDERS ON FRIDAY TO REVIEW THE SITUATION. THE PRIME
MINISTER'S SENIOR SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS THERE IS LITTLE DANGER OF
THE CONFLICT ESCALATING INTO A GENERAL WAR BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND
INDIA. (SIGNED)
NEB/JL/KL
28-May-99 10:33 AM EDT (1433 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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