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India Conducts War Games On Pak Borders, Troops Exchange Heavy Fire
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Indian
army is ready on the international borders
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By IOL South Asia Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 4 (IslamOnline) - Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy firing for the third consecutive day along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in Jammu-Poonch sector, where nine people were injured in shelling from across the border since last night, according to Indian official sources.
Five civilians were injured in Jallas-Shahpur area of Poonch where a temple, a school and a government building were partly damaged in the shelling by Pakistani forces. Two Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and two civilians were injured in the heavy firing along the international border in Jammu last night.
Reportedly Pakistani rangers fired at a bus in Pargwal area of Akhnoor belt late last night. However, no one was hurt, Indian sources said.
A number of civilian and defence areas were hit by Pakistani firing and shelling in Jallas, Salotri, Kalal, Shahpur, Jangard, Bhoriwali, Pallanwala, Noushera, Bhawani, Laam, Bhimbergali, Sabzian, Kerni, Balakote, Khadi, Karara Digwarnad, Kanas, Gulpur and Mendhar, Indian official news agency PTI reported.
Indian sources claimed that Pakistani forces have intensified shelling and firing to push in militants into Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier reports said that Pakistan was hitting at Indian attempts to extend the border fences in the area.
The clashes coincide with a 15-day war games started Thursday by the Indian army and air force in the border state of Rajasthan's Thar desert and some adjoining areas as part of "manoeuvres to keep the soldiers active".
The Strike Corps of the Army and units of the Air Force are involved in the exercises, which will continue till May 15, according to the Defence Ministry sources in Delhi.
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Pakistani
forces have intensified shelling and firing
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Stating that the Army usually conducts exercises around this time every year to keep the troops in "combat readiness", they, however, said these had no relation with the troop deployment along the border "except that it helped in saving time of movement of soldiers and weaponry."
"As deployment is already in place, it helped in organising the exercises in minimum time," the source said, according to the PTI.
Last year, Operation Poorna Vijay (Complete Victory) was conducted in the same area in May but the movement of the troops, tanks and other weaponry had begun much earlier.
Indian troops have been in a state of total combat along the Pakistani borders for the last five months in the wake of the December 13 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament.
Defence sources in Delhi said, "as the exercises are being conducted well within the Indian borders, it should be no cause for any concern to Pakistan. "The exercises are in no way meant to indicate that a war is imminent. It is just to test the readiness of the units of the army and air force," they added.
However, Pakistan is apprehensive. President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday he was concerned by the Indian military exercises near the border but he played down fears of escalating tensions between the nuclear rivals.
"I do not think at the moment there is a likelihood of a serious threat but I would like to say that we are watching, so we are concerned because of the capabilities that they have for any kind of adventurism," Musharraf told a news conference.
Indian defence ministry sources confirmed New Delhi had given advance notice to Islamabad about the war games.
There is a feeling in India that the army deployment on Pakistan borders has run its course. The troops were deployed to pressurise Pakistan into handing over to India certain terrorists and criminals wanted by Delhi.
India wanted to demonstrate that it could act tough to face what it calls 'cross border terrorism'. But Pakistan has refused to oblige and responded with a similar build up of troops on its side of the borders, and came up with a similar list of wanted men sheltered by India.
In the wake of the ongoing Gujarat anti-Muslim pogroms, India has lost the moral high ground and the issue has been shelved for the time being. But the continued deployment of the troops on the borders is an embarrassment and Delhi is out of its wits as to how to wriggle out of this difficult situation.
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