10/15 11:21A (DJ) +DJ Indian Army Shells Pakistan Posts Across Cease-Fire Line

(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 10 -15 -01 11:21 AM

*DJ 11 Pakistani Posts Destroyed - Sr Indian Army Official

(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 10 -15 -01 11:23 AM

DJ Indian Army Shells Pakistan Posts -2: Ends 10 -Month Calm

JAMMU, India (AP)--India's army shelled Pakistani military posts across the disputed cease-fire line in Kashmir Monday after a 10 -month border calm, destroying 11 Pakistani posts, a senior army official said. "We have fired heavily on Pakistani positions," Brig. P.C. Das, based in the army base in Nagrota, near Jammu-Kashmir's winter capital of Jammu, told The Associated Press. Das said the shelling occurred in the frontier areas of Akhnoor and Mendar. (MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 10 -15 -01 11:31 AM

DJ India Shells Pakistan Posts -3: Pakistan Denies Claims

But in Pakistan, an army spokesman rejected Indian claims, saying that they are false and baseless. Apart from artillery guns, Indian soldiers used fired rockets, mortars, flame throwers, grenade launchers and machine guns during the operation, Das said. The army action comes while U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Pakistan to discuss issues related to Kashmir and the U.S.-led attack on the Taliban. Powell is scheduled to reach New Delhi Tuesday evening for a daylong visit. "We have started punitive action. This follows a conscious decision," said Das, the brigadier-general staff of the Indian army's 16th corps. "This is part of the proactive approach adopted by Indian Army." He added: "We have completely destroyed their posts." The immediate provocation for the action wasn't known. But Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had last week hinted at tough action to fight the Islamic insurgency that has sapped Kashmir since 1989, claiming at least 30,000 lives. Das said Pakistani soldiers had sneaked into Indian territory in Akhnoor Monday night and damaged three power transformers. The Indian action threatened to escalate tensions between nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors India and Pakistan. Their territorial dispute in Kashmir has forced them into two of their three wars during the five decades. India says Pakistan arms, trains and funds Islamic militants based in Pakistan who sneak across the border into Indian-controlled Kashmir to carry out terrorist attacks and strikes on Indian military bases. Pakistan calls them "freedom fighters," says it has no control over their movement cross the border, and that it provides only moral, not material, aid. Das said a total of 11 Pakistani posts had been demolished in the two areas, along the Line of Control, the 1972 cease-fire line that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Das said details of Pakistani casualties weren't known. He said such attacks could be launched again. "This action would be taken in future also if they make any attempt to push in infiltrators or plant improvised explosive devices in our territory," Das said. (END) DOW JONES NEWS 10 -15 -01 11:54 AM

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), October 15, 2001