HINDUSTAN STANDARD, MAY 26, 1971
MEGHALAYA BORDER SHELLED
NINE BSF MEN KILLED
Shillong, May 25 – While 22 persons including nine Indian Border Security Force men were killed today in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops in Dalu Sector in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills district, according to official reports, the Assam Chief Minister. Mr. Mahendramohan Choudhury, told the Assembly this evening that the BSF had ‘successfully repulsed’ Pakistani aggression in three different sectors of the Assam – Bangladesh border, agencies report.
The Chief Minister who was making a statement in the Assembly on Pakistani attacks on Indian territory in Assam said, the Assam Government had asked the prime Minister and Defense Minister “to take immediate action to clear the Pakistani Army from our areas and to safeguard the sanctity of our territory.”
Mr. Choudhury said the civilian population in four bordering villages had evacuated to safer places because of Pakistani intrusion deep into Indian territory in Garo Hills and Karimganj sectors.
The villages were Dalu in Garo Hills of Meghalaya, and Sutarkandi, Jerapatta and Gobindpur in Karimganj sector, he said.
In the shelling in Dalu sector, besides the 22 killed, 11 civilians received injuries when Pakistani shells and machine-gun bullets, aimed at the Indian border outpost (Dalu) fell deep into jungled interior, the official report s said.
According to the reports one BSF Junior Commissioned Officer was kidnapped by Pak-troops.
The reports quoted civilian rescuers as fearing the casualties on the Indian side might rise as they were still scanning the woods in search of bodies.
About 200 Pakistani troops were also reported patrolling in Killapara area inside the Indian territory in this sector. But the area was under complete control of India in the evening.
Our Tura Correspondent says: The gang of Pakistani troops, armed with rifles, machine guns and mortars, which intruded into Dalubazar on Garo Hills border of Meghalaya at about 7 a.m. today numbered about 100 and resorted to indiscriminate firing for about an hour.
According to an unconfirmed non-official report the dead includes a woman and a four-year-old child. Some of the seriously wounded have been brought here for treatment in civil hospital. The casualty list includes Garos, non-Garo local residents and Bangladesh evacuees camped at Dalubazar and around.
Replying to an adjournment motion, moved by Mr. Phani Bora leader of troops the Communist group, Mr. Choudhury said that the attacking Pakistani troops made some initial gains, but the ultimate victory has been with the Indian border Security Force, agencies continue. Mr. Choudhury shared the concern of members of both side of the House about Pakistan’s aggressive activities along the Assam-East Bengal border and said: “It is too early to say how the situation will take a turn”.
The Chief Minister, however assured the House that the Indian Border Security Forces were fully prepared to met any eventuality.
Giving details of the “unprovoked aggressive activities” of the Pakistani Army, the Chief Minister said that attacks had taken place in three different sectors stretching from Sutarkandi in the Karimganj sub-division of South Assam to Dalu in Meghalaya.
The Chief Minister said that the Pakistani troops had captured the Indian border outpost of Sutarkandi and Jorapatta village in Karimganj sector yesterday afternoon.
The Indian border security forces launched a counter-offensive later in the day and recaptured the two places.
In the Garo Hills sector of Meghalaya, the Pakistani Army has been creating a tense situation by firing towards Dalu Tillapara and Chaipani areas.
About 200 Pakistani Army personnel were reportedly patrolling at Tillapara, inside Indian territory this morning. They were chased out of the village after an exchange of fire in which both sides suffered some casualties said that Pakistani troops had been heavily shelling the Indian side of Latu village in Karimganj sector and Dalu outpost in Meghalaya-Garo Hills district.
The troops burnt many houses in Indian villages and killed and kidnapped civilians. Mr. Choudhury said that though there was no Pakistani troops on the Indian soil now, the State Government was concerned about the aggressive posture of the Pak Government.
The Chief Minister said that the Pakistani Army had directed firing towards the Sutarkandi outpost of the Indian Border Security Forces since the evening of May 23.
According to latest reports reaching the Government a grim fighting was going on between the Pakistani Army and the Bangladesh liberation forces near the East Bengal village of Latu across the Indian village of Mohishashon in the Karimganj sector.
Referring to the developments along the Garo-Hills Mymensingh sector of the Meghalaya East Bengal border, the Chief Minister said that the Pakistani troops had been restoring to heavy mortar shelling at Datu, Tillapara, and Chaipai areas since last night, creating a tense situation.
One Indian villager was killed and six others wounded in the Pakistani shelling of Dalu last evening. There have also been some casualties on the side of the border security forces.
Some Indians were kidnapped by the Pakistani army from Tillapara and Chaipani areas early this morning.
Our Shikarpur Correspondent adds: Pat troops have been firing on the border of Shikarpur since 8 a.m. Perhaps they are back to retaliate the death of three of them who are shot dead on May 22 when they entered India and forcibly carried off 11 goats. Pak troops have been deployed along the Kushtia border. Shikarpur BSF has moved to the border. Further details are awaited