INDIAN GUARDING A BRIDGE ON THE SRINAGAR-LEH ROAD; MORE INDIAN TROOPS RUNNING ACROSS BRIDGE UNDER FIRE AND TALKING UP POSITIONS; TROOPS DRAGGING BODY OF "INFILTRATOR'; MORE BODIES; TROOPS WITH "CAPTURED WEAPONS"; MORE DEAD BODIES.




Initials RM/V/JH/PN



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Background: WHILE A PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN WAS DENYING TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT ANY PAKISTANIS HAD INFILTRATED THE INDIAN PART OF KASHMIR, AN INDIAN SPOKESMAN WAS CLAIMING THAT ABOUT 800 PAKISTANI INFILTRATORS HAD BEEN KILLED IN RECENT CLASHES WITH INDIAN FORCES.MEANWHILE, OPERATIONS AGAINST INSURGENTS IN INDIAN KASHMIR IS CONTINUING, AND NEWSMEN HAVE BEEN SHOWN BODIES WHICH THE INDIAN AUTHORITIES CLAIM TO BE THOSE OF PAKISTANI INFILTRATORS KILLED IN THE FIGHTING.

THE INDIAN AUTHORITIES CLAIM THAT THE INSURGENTS HAVE MADE A PARTICULAR TARGET OF THE BRIDGES ON THE ROAD BETWEEN SRINAGAR, CAPITAL OF KASHMIR, AND LEH, CAPITAL OF LADAKH, WHICH IS A SUPPLY LINE FOR INDIAN TROOPS IN LADAKH.IN REPULSING WHAT THEY CLAIM WAS ONE SUCH ATTACK ON WEDNESDAY, THE INDIAN SECURITY FORCES KILLED A NUMBER OF ALLEGED INFILTRATORS IN A BATTLE IN A PADDY FIELD.

THE INDIAN AUTHORITIES LATER DISPLAYED SOME WEAPONS WHICH THEY CLAIM WERE SEIZED FROM INFILTRATORS, AND BODIES OF ALLEGED INFILTRATORS IN UNIFORM.IN NEW DELHI TODAY, AN INDIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN CLAIMED THAT THE BODIES OF 357 PAKISTANI INFILTRATORS, INCLUDING SIX OFFICER, HAD BEEN PICKED UP AND THAT A FURTHER 400 WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED.

HOWEVER, IN LAHORE, THE PAKISTAN MINISTER OF KASHMIR AFFAIRS, MR.CHAUDHRY ALI AKBAR, CLAIMED TODAY THAT NOT A SINGLE PAKISTANI OF KASHMIR OF PAKISTANI DESCENT HAD GONE TO THE INDIAN PART OF KASHMIR TO FIGHT IN WHAT HE CALLED THE "FREEDOM MOVEMENT" THERE.HE CLAIMED THAT INDIA WAS TRYING TO INTEGRATE KASHMIR TOTALLY AND THE PEOPLE HAD RISEN IN REVOLT.