In the ground fighting, apart from inflicting other loses on the enemy, our troops have destroyed three Pakistani tanks and captured two, complete with their crew. To arrest the advance of our forces, the Pakistanis blew up the Dera Baba Nanak bridge in Pakistan territory. The Air Force has knocked out thirteen other Pakistani tanks . In pursuance of the Army’s overall plan to check attacks at the bases from which they are mounted and sustained, our armed forces have crossed the Jammu - West Pakistan border and are advancing. Simultaneously, in order to forestall Pakistani attacks in the Barmer -Kutch sector, our troops have made a forward move in that area. Gadra City which is 5 miles from the frontier has been occupied. As operations are still in progress, Hon’ble Members will appreciate that I am not in a position to give further details.
In air battles in our own territory and in strikes over West Pakistan airfields, our Air Force have in the past two days given a very good account of themselves. Their record is 11 American F - 86 Sabre Jets destroyed, one F -104C aeroplane destroyed and two damaged, two B - 57 bombers, two four -engined American transport aircraft and one C - 130 aircraft destroyed. Pakistani aircraft destroyed by ground fire are one F - 86, one F - 104C, one B - 57 bomber and one C - 130 aircraft. In two days’ fighting 21 Pakistani aircraft have been destroyed and two damaged. Our own losses have been substantially less.
Hon’ble Members will no doubt have seen the details of the different aerial actions given out till last evening by the official spokesman. Last night, the Halwara airfield was bombed twice by Pakistani aircraft but no damage was done. An attempt was made by Pakistani aircraft to bomb Delhi. One C - 130 aircraft was knocked out in the air and two others were chased away.
Pakistan has dropped a number of parachutists, some in uniform, others disguised, with a view to attack and disrupt our military installations, particularly the air bases. Many of these parachutists have already been rounded up by our security forces and others are in the process of being mopped up. In this task, the Security Forces have received considerable assistance from our people.
Last night, the Pakistan Navy bombarded, under air cover, the Port of Dwaraka in Gujarat State. A report just received shows that no military installations have been hit. None of our aircraft were involved in this incident and no aircraft has been lost as claimed by Pakistan.
