As I have said before, we were aware that Pakistan was giving training to numbers of armed personnel in guerilla warfare but the exact time and place of the infiltration was not known to us. Our forces along the Cease Fire line were mainly responsible for the stoppage of any major military attack across this Line but as Honourable Members will realise it is impossible to Prevent infiltration of people in small groups across 470 miles of extensive and difficult terrain. The Cease Fire Line was as Honourable Members are aware fixed ad hoc and does not follow natural features providing easy de- fence against infiltration. The infiltrators came in small groups which then regrouped themselves later on. In view of the surprise tactics adopted by the infiltrators and the type of the firearms that they carried, they were able to inflict some casualities on policemen guarding vital points, 21 of whom have died. Regarding these this is the only change I am making in the statement as already prepared, and I am doing so only to give the up - to - date figures of casualities - the up- to - date information I have got is that in addition to 21 policemen killed, 5 officers and 41 ORs of the Indian Army have died fighting the infiltrators. We have killed 2 officers and 151 other infiltrators and their bodies have been picked up.
Another 300 are estimated to have been killed or wounded; 84 infiltrators including 2 officers have been captured by us so far. Amongst the arms and ammunition captured by us are substantial quantities of rifles, sten guns, LMGs, thousands of rounds of ammunition of various kinds, mortar bombs, rocket launchers and rockets and explosives. Wire cutters, binoculars, compasses, transistor radios and signal equipment have also been captured. Clothing, blankets, food and medicines, etc., has also been captured from the infiltrators in large quantities. Reports are continuing to come in of more losses suffered by the infiltrators. Apart from the valley, the infiltrators have been engaged all along the Cease Fire Line where the maximum engagements have taken place. It may, however, take some time before these Pakistan trained and inspired infiltrators are totally eliminated.
The complicity of Pakistan in this whole affair can be seen by the news coming from Pakistan radio and from that printed in her newspapers. In the beginning she said nothing but subsequently the claims made, have been so exaggerated and so fantastic that one is clearly led to believe it is what Pakistan had expected rather than what has actually happened that Pakistan has published.
Following assurances from the United Nations observers against repetition of Pakistani attacks on our vital supply route and the posting of the United Nations observers at Kargil and Skardu, our troops vacated the Pakistani posts in the hope that Pakistani would thereafter desist from its provocative activities. I am afraid these hopes have been belied and the United Nations observers let down. Apart from the large scale infiltration arranged by Pakistan and sabotage activities indulged in by the infiltrators, generally, the Kargil area has been a specific object of Pakistan aggression, nullifying all assurances given by the UN to us, nullifying all assurances given by the UN to us.
I do not wish to minimise the serious situation that has been created for us once again in the State of Jammu and Kashmir which is a threat to the territorial integrity of our country. We feel deep concern for the suffering being caused to our brethren in J & K. We will meet this new threat created by Pakistan in an effective manner and I have no doubt that the security forces, with the help of the people of J & K will be able to meet the situation, even though it may take some time. We are also undertaking immediate measures to provide relief to those who have suffered at the hands of the infiltrators. We have appraised the Secretary General of the United Nations of these grave and blatant cease fire violations by Pakistan. We have drawn the attention of all friendly Governments to this new phase of Pakistani aggression in Kashmir and hope that they will use their influence to make Pakistan desist from action which is against the Charter of the United Nations, against Inter- national Law and against the principle of good neighbourliness and which is fraught with grave consequences.
