DATE=6/24/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251041
TITLE=INDIA/KASHMIR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE INDIAN ARMY INTENSIFIED ITS MILITARY OFFENSIVE IN
KASHMIR THURSDAY WITH MORE AIR STRIKES AND ARTILLERY BATTLES
AIMED AT EVICTING WHAT INDIA SAYS ARE MOSTLY REGULAR PAKISTANI
TROOPS IN ITS TERRITORY. ANJANA PASRICHA REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI,
THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS INDIA WILL NOT CROSS THE LINE OF
CONTROL THAT DIVIDES KASHMIR BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
TEXT: THE INDIAN ARMY SAYS ITS MILITARY OPERATION IS
CONCENTRATING ON REGAINING KEY HEIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN CAPTURED BY
ARMED INTRUDERS. THE AIR FORCE SAYS IT HAS MADE EFFECTIVE
STRIKES AGAINST GUERRILLA STRONGHOLDS. TROOPS ARE ALSO ENGAGED
IN MOPPING UP OPERATIONS ON SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS THAT HAVE BEEN
RECAPTURED IN RECENT DAYS.
ACCORDING TO DEFENSE OFFICIALS, INTELLIGENCE REPORTS INDICATE
NEARLY 800 ISLAMIC MILITANTS ARE MASSED CLOSE TO THE BORDER IN
PAKISTANI KASHMIR TO REINFORCE THE INTRUDERS IN INDIAN KASHMIR.
DEFENSE SPOKESMAN COLONEL BIKRAM SINGH SAYS IT IS DIFFICULT TO
PREVENT INFILTRATORS FROM CROSSING INTO INDIAN KASHMIR DUE TO THE
MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
///INSERT SINGH ACT///
WE TRY AND GET HOLD OF THE IMPORTANT DOMINATING GROUNDS
... TO PREVENT THE ENEMY FROM COMING IN AND GETTING OUT.
BUT IN A MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF THIS NATURE THEY CAN GET
IN IN SMALL COLUMNS.
/// END SINGH ACT ///
MEANWHILE, INDIAN PRIME MINSITER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE TOLD
REPORTERS INDIA HAS NO INTENTIONS OF CROSSING THE LINE OF
CONTROL. HIS COMMENT CAME AFTER SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS SAID
IN RECENT DAYS THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A WAR WITH PAKISTAN CANNOT
BE RULED OUT.
HOWEVER, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN R.S. JASSAL SAYS NEW DELHI IS
ONLY PREPARED TO HOLD TALKS WITH ISLAMABAD AFTER ARMED INTRUDERS
WITHDRAW FROM INDIAN KASHMIR. THE SPOKESMAN'S STATEMENT CAME
AFTER PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF CALLED FOR TALKS WITH
INDIA.
/// INSERT JASSAL ACT ///
THE MOMENT THE ARMED INTRUSION IS REVERSED, AND THIS
AGGRESSION THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED HAS BEEN REVERSED, WE
WOULD CONSIDER POSSIBILITIES OF PUTTING THE DIALOGUE
BACK ON TRACK.
/// END JASSAL ACT ///
MR. JASSAL SAYS U-S DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE GIBSON
LANPHER, WHO IS CURRENTLY VISITING ISLAMABAD, WILL ALSO VISIT NEW
DELHI TO BRIEF OFFICIALS ABOUT TALKS HE HELD ON THE KASHMIR
CONFLICT WITH PAKISTANI OFFICIALS. BUT MR. JASSAL STRESSED THAT
THE US. OFFICIAL WILL NOT MEDIATE IN THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE
TWO HOSTILE NEIGHBORS.
INDIA CONTINUES TO SUFFER HEAVY CASUALTIES IN ITS MILITARY
OFFENSIVE. SO FAR 165 SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND
323 ARE WOUNDED IN THE MONTH-LONG OPERATION. INDIAN MILITARY
STRATEGISTS SAY THE CASUALTIES ARE HIGH BECAUSE THE ARMED
INTRUDERS HAVE THE STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE OF HEIGHT, WHICH ENABLES A
SMALL NUMBER OF TROOPS TO DOMINATE A LARGE AREA. (SIGNED)
NEB/AP/ENE/KL
24-Jun-99 10:15 AM EDT (1415 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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