Mukti Fauj Stalls Pak Bid To Link Strongholds
AGARTALA, April 24. – The Bangladesh freedom fighters today continued to stall the Pakistani Army’s frantic attempts to link up their various strongholds in the sprawling eastern sector extending from the port city of Chittagong in the south to Sylhet in the north before the onset of monsoon, accoding to reports from across the border, say UNI and PTI Mukti Fouj guerrillas and suicide squads engaged the Pakistani troops at vulnerable points and inflicted heavy casualties on them.
Using field guns, the Mukti Fouj guerillas threw back an army probe party which was moving from the Salutikar-Khadimnagar base in Sylhet, towards the vital Pakistani petroleum installations at Haripur, about 23 km from Sylhet. Another column of the Pakistani Army advancing towards Chhatak was forced to retreat to the Salutikar-Khadimnagar ridge.
Reports said the liberation forces made a surprise attack with mortars and machine guns on the Pakistani troops in the Akhaura-Brahmanbaria sub-sector last night. The Pakistani troops reportedly suffered heavy casualties and were seen carrying their wounded soldiers early in the morning.
One Pakistani column moving north from Chittagong and another from Comilla towards Chittagong could not establish contacts with each other as they met with stiff resistance from the guerrillas in the Ramgarh-Laksham sub-sector.
Pakistani attempts to launch a two-pronged thrust from Dacca-one towards Mymensingh and the other towards the Sylhet-Brahmanbaria-Akhaura sector-have been thwarted by the liberation forces.
The Pakistani troops are also making an attempt to move from Sylhet in three directions. One army column is moving towards Chhatak-Sunamganj to link up with a unit proceeding from Mymensingh. Another thrust is towards the AkhauraBrahmanbaria sector to link up with the Akhaura sub-sector commanded from Comilla and then with the army trying to advance from Dacca.
PAF STRIKE
Pakistan Air Force planes struck Sherpur on the bank of Kushiara River in support of the ground forces which attempted to cross the river this morning through the ferry ghat. The freedom fighters immediately engaged the Pakistani troops with mortar fire from the other side of the river. The road over Sherpur ferry ghat is the only route which connects Akhaura and Sylhet. A column of the Pakistani Army advancing towards the Akhaura sector was backed yesterday by a strong Mukti Fouj contingent.
The Mukti Fouj command of this area sent out a column of troops towards Madhupur to strengthen the freedom fighters who had intercepted an advancing column of Pakistani troops from Akhaura towards Sylhet.
In the western sector the freedom fighters successfully stalled the advance of the Pakistani Army who attempted to enter Veramars of Kushtia district from their base at Iswardi in Pabna district last night.
More than 40 army men were killed while the rest of the column fled towards Pakshi in the same district. The Pakistani army also called to hold pickets on the southern side of the Hardinge Bridge. The output in the Veramara area was reported to be under the full control of the liberation forces, who were patrolling the area.
ATTACK ON MEHERPUR
The Mukti Fouj mounted grenade attacks on the army trenches at Meherpur last night as well as this evening. The guerrillas launched an offensive three times in the Meherpur area today.
At Darshana, two companies of Pakistani troops were patrolling along the six mile stretch bordering Gede on the Indian side. But Jivangram, about 12 km north of Darshana still remained under the control of the liberation forces.
The Pakistani Army’s attempts to capture Faridpur in a three-pronged drive has been frustrated by the Mukti Fouj. A company of the Pakistani Army made an attempt yesterday to advance from Goalundo towards Rajbari, but it has been besieged on the way by freedom fighters.
Another thrust from Magura in Jessore district along the Magura-Faridpur road has been halted on the Kumarkhali river. The bridge on the river had earlier been blown up by the Liberation Army.
The third attack from the Kushtia area was successfully repulsed at a point on the Goral river.
A Pakistani Army convoy of about 250 soldiers was ambushed by guerilla fighters of the Liberation Army at midnight last night near Brahmanbaria in the eastern sector, according to reports from across the border. The convoy was proceeding from the Ashuganj side on the Meghna river towards Brahmanbaria to reinforce the Pakistani garrison there.
Guerilla fighters also successfully resisted the advance of reinforcements proceeding towards Shahbazpur where the Pakistani Army had been blocked. The soldiers had so far failed to cross the Shahbazpur bridge over Titash river to enter Sylhet district near Madhupur. Attempts by another Pakistani column to advance towards Madhupur were also foiled by guerilla fighters near Akhaura.
CHITTAGONG
Reports said that fighting continued in the Chittagong Hill Tracts where the Pakistani Army was desperately trying to gain control of the headquarters town of Rangamati close to the Assam border. The civil administration there had shifted its headquarters to a place deep in the jungles.
Mukti Fouj guerrillas also disrupted the water supply system and road communications in the area to stall army movements.
Troops fired at pro-Mukti Fauj Mizos when a group of them wanted to cross the Karnafuli river by boat.
Mukti Fouj guerrilla liquidated a small group of Pakistani troops and two Muslim League workers leading the troops in a successful ambush near Gangasagar on the Thursday night, according to a delayed report from across the border received here today.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 27.04.1971