Pak. dailies report fresh intrusions in Kargil, Drass

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 13. If reports in a section of the Pakistani press are to be believed, militants have once again intruded into the Kargil and Drass sectors and launched attacks on Indian forces.

A number of Urdu dailies quoting the Pakistan-based militant outfit, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, have said that on the night of August 12, militants led by `the Commander', Omar Shaheen, intruded in Kargil and attacked two posts in the Banial area near Drass along the LoC.

The reports said they initially used rockets and hand grenades but later opened fire on the fleeing Indian soldiers. The outfit claimed that 18 Indian soldiers were killed in the attack.

In a press statement it said the strike was launched to avenge killing of two Harkat-ul-Mujahideen men in an encounter with the Indian forces sometime back. Omar Shaheen has been quoted as saying that soon militants would launch fresh strikes in Jammu sector also.

According to a report in the Urdu daily, Ausaf, the Harkat-ul- Mujahideen secretary-general, Maulana Fazlur Rehmal Khalil, has rewarded Omar Shaheen and his contingent for the successful attack.

In a related development the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, has said after conquering Kashmir, mujahideen would also get Indian Muslims ``liberated from the Indian possession and complete the ideology of Pakistan''.

India denies report

NEW DELHI, AUG. 13. The Defence Ministry tonight termed as ``baseless'' a report in a Pakistani newspaper that militants belonging to Harkat-ul Mujahideen had intruded into Kargil and Drass sectors on the night of August 11 and launched attacks on Indian troops.

``The report is baseless and motivated,'' a senior official said when asked about the report.

- PTI

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