Massive monsoon offensive
From Our Special Representative MUJIBNAGAR, JUNE 4. With the advent of the monsoon fighting has broken out on a massive scale between the West Pakistan army units manning positions in different districts and the Bangladesh forces launching an offensive against them.
Pakistan army troops are urging the local people to trespass into Indian territory and burn the Indian villages out of sheer desperation, according to reports from across the border.
The troops are molesting womenfolk and setting fire to the houses of local people who refuse to do so, the reports said.
Information reaching here from the northern districts indicate big successes of the commandos and guerilla units of Bangladesh in many sectors. Two border outposts manned by Pakistan units were destroyed by Bangladesh commandos in Barabalding 28 miles south-west of Hilli in the course of surprise attacks. The Mukti Fouz captured a jeep filled with wireless sets and are now reporting a sharp naval encounter. A railway bridge in Sirajganj area was also damaged by the Mukti Fauj guerillas thwarting the desperate attempts by the Pakistan army to restore communication.
Reports reaching from the Kushtia sector alsol tell about the significant victories won by the Bangladesh army against the West Pakistani troops. Four Pakistanis were killed and several others got injured when a West Pakistani army post at Chikhali near Meherpur town was attacked by the Mukti Fauj commandos on Thursday. A Pak army column which attempted to march towards a Mukti Fouj position form Kalachandpore under cover of mortar and machine gun five was beaten back in the face of heavy exchanges from the Bangladesh forces, One officer and several members of the Pak army patrol unit in occupation were killed by the Mukti Fouj near Bheramara area in north-west of Kushtia when the former was ambushed successfully.
In Jessore sector the freedom fighters attacked an army camp with machine guns and mortar fire killing 20 soldiers and making others free leaving behind sizable quantities of arms and ammunition as well as some vehicles. In Faridpur the Mukti Fouj damaged a bridge and destroyed an army post.
Mukti Fouj are in full control of the village in the Rangamati area in the Hill Chittagong tract. In the Comilla sector the Bangladesh Army units launched a fierce attack on an army position near Colonel Bazar killing 25 West Pakistani soldiers.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 05.06.1971