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New Border Skirmish Between India & Pakistan
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| Pakistan military spokesman Major-General Rashid Qureshi |
Asif
Farooqi, IOL Correspondent
ISLAMABAD,
Aug 23 (IslamOnline) - India and Pakistan, using heavy artillery fire
in addition to the aerial bombing from the Indian side, engaged in one
of the worst border skirmishes in more than a year. This came on the
eve of a high level visit by a U.S. diplomat to the region.
Though
the Indian army denied the use of airpower in a the incident which
took place Thursday August 22, the Indian spokesman admitted that a
fight broke out between the Indian and Pakistani forces deployed on
the Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir.
U.S.
deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in New Delhi this
morning and will fly into Islamabad Saturday, August 24. This visit is
to persuade the two neighbors to reduce rising tensions on the border
following last December when India and Pakistan amassed over a million
soldiers on the borders.
Major
General Rashid Qureshi of the Pakistan army claimed that three to five
Indian fighter jets took part in the late night operation. The Indian
air force also used what he termed was an Indian effort to capture one
Pakistani military post in the Northern part of Kashmir.
“Accurate
firing from the Pakistani position frustrated the Indian attempt and
their attacking troops had to withdraw leaving behind bodies of dozens
of their dead and injured soldiers” Qureshi, Military spokesman said
in a press conference Friday, August 23.
The
Indian Defense Ministry, however, denied a major attack had been
launched but said routine exchanges of artillery fire had been
reported from some areas.
The
Pakistani military spokesman alleged the Indian government of
unprovoked attacked which he said was “highly irresponsible and
highly escalatory”.
He
said the Indian government wanted to prove to the U.S. diplomat, in
Delhi today as to how important it is to maintain forces on the
borders with Pakistan. “India is under pressure from the
international community to withdraw its forces from the border”
Rashid Qureshi said. “This is the reason that it carries out such
escalatory measures to impress the world” he added.
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