Guerilla raids on 3 key sectors
MUJIBNAGAR, June, 1. Freedom fighters have been active in a number of areas and carried out guerilla raids in Rangpur, Comilla and Dacca sectors, according to latest reports reaching Mukti Fauj headquarters here.
A number of bridges on the railway line between Lalmanirhat and Kekina had been damaged, dislocating railway communications. In the Lalmonirhat-Kurigram area, freedom fighters continued to harass the Pakistani troops. In a recent encounter, they killed six soldiers, destroyed a jeep and captured some arms.
The freedom fighters have successfully prevented the Pakistani troops from crossing river Dharla. They had also laid mines in wide areas in this sector. The Pak army had been trying to clear these mines in Nagaon area and had also retaliated by burning down villages and attacking civilian population.
BRIDGES DAMAGED In Comilla sector, the Liberation forces damaged two railway bridges in Paharpur area near Akhaura. In the Dacca sector freedom fighters were reported to have exchanged fire recently with an Army patrol, North-East of Mymensingh.
Reports of atrocities by the Pakistani troops on the civilian population continued to pour in at the Mukti Fauj headquarters. In the Comilla sector the troops raided a number of villages and molested and abducted women after killing a number of people.
In the Dacca sector over 300 people in the Hasa area south of Chandpur, had been shot dead by the Pakistanis. In Jessore sector also, a large number of people had been killed. This had enraged the local population who killed two Pak soldiers on May 27.
FUEL SHORTAGE Cholera was reported to have broken out in Sylhet and Maulvi Bazar areas. The Pakistani troops had been asked to take measures to control the spread of the disease. Shortage of fuel was reported from Bogra district where buses could not ply regularly.
In the Sylhet sector, the freedom fighters attacked Army positions at Latu and killed eight Pakistani army men. In Rangpur sector, they destroyed a Pakistani outpost near Manoharpur and damaged a railway bridge near Pirganj in Dinajpur district.
Freedom fighters were active in the area between Singarbil and Haraspur, East of Akahaura, in the Comilla sector. The Army shelled Haridaspur railway station and nearby villages to clear the area. The railway bridge at Rahamangram had been demolished by the freedom fighters. A police station in this sector was attacked by guerillas with hand-grenades, causing death of some police personnel and injuries to others. Guerillas operating in Dacca čity set fire to two ferry boats recently.
The Pakistani Army patrols raided some villages near Comilla and killed 17 persons. The Army had recaptured some positions opposite Dawki in Assam and was trying to seal the border near Karimganj. Road and rail communications between Chittagong and Dacca had not yet been restored. – (PTI.)
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 02.06.1971