India mulls Kargil-type action in IHK forest
*Thursday, Muharram 11, 1430
By Iftikhar Gilani *
NEW DELHI: **Indian Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday convened a meeting of Indian service chiefs to plan an ongoing encounter with militants holed up in the dense forests in Poonch region of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).
The encounter between the Indian military and eight to 10 militants has entered the seventh day, making it one of the longest battles fought by militants in the disputed region.** It is believed that the militants could be countered through a Kargil-type operation with the involvement of the air force to quickly flush out the fighters. The army said the militants holed up in the Bhati Dhar jungles in Mendhar areas of Poonch were suspected to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed.
After the meeting, Antony told reporters he had discussed the encounter with army chief General Deepak Kapoor, air force chief Air Marshal Fali Major and navy chief Admiral Suresh Mehta. He attributed the lengthy fighting to the difficult terrain and to preventing troop casualties.
Antony also predicted a tough summer for the Indian Army in IHK in view of the bitter Indo-Pak relations. “The infiltration is taking place at the height of winter when there is biting cold. Even then militants are trying to cross over to create problems. If this is the case now … there will be more problems in the coming summer,” he said.
He called for increased vigilance both internally and on the borders. “We cannot lower guard … our armed forces must be ever ready to face such challenges,” he said, adding that the encounter also showed that Pakistan was ‘not serious in dismantling terror outfits’.
Army chief Deepak told reporters, “We are [trying] … to ensure that we do not suffer any casualties. The area is very rocky and filled with natural caves … that is why it is taking time.” But he said the army was trying to finish off the operation as soon as possible.
Brig Gurdeep Singh of the corps overlooking the operation told reporters that the weather and terrain were acting as big constraints for the army in flushing out the militants.
“We are carrying out a deliberate operation to wear out the terrorists and to ensure that the casualties among our own forces are avoided. That’s why we are taking time to eliminate the terrorists holed up here,” he said.
Seven dead: Reuters quoted officials as saying that seven **people had so far been killed in the fighting. The officials said three soldiers and four militants had been killed in the battle. **
The gunbattle broke out a week ago in the remote and rugged mountains of Poonch near the Line of Control.
Overall violence has fallen significantly across IHK since India and Pakistan began slow-moving peace talks in 2004. But New Delhi paused that dialogue after the Mumbai attacks.
The neighbours, who have fought two of their three wars since 1947 over Kashmir, claim the disputed Himalayan region in full but rule it in part.
Officials say more than 47,000 people have been killed in nearly two decades of violence involving Indian troops and militants in Kashmir. Rights groups put the toll at 60,000 dead or missing.
Daily Times
