Pak troops on western border reinforced
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The spokesman said: “Our troops are in a defensive position and there has been no defensive or offensive action along the western border by the Indian troops so far.”
Pakistan admitted its planes had strafed three Indian air fields.
The admission came in a Bengali language broadcast by Radio Pakistan monitored in New Delhi.
The radio mentioned the three airfields of Pathankot, Amritsar and Avantipur.
Pakistan has moved yet another division of its Army along the border with Rajasthan, the Rajasthan Government sources said.
Quoting reports from across the border the sources said the military junta recently moved one more division from Karachi to this sector comprising Barmer and Jaisalmer districts. Already one division from Hyderabad (Sind) was entrenched in this sector.
The sources said Pakistan had also reinforced their positions in the Ganganagar and Bikaner sector by moving more troops. A Pakistani armored division was already stationed in the sector too.
Life in this border town is, however, perfectly normal and the people are ready to face any situation.
Two Pakistani Saber jets intruded into Indian air space over Kathua district, 80 km from Jammu.
Indian anti-aircraft guns fired at them and IAF Gnats chased them away. Anti-aircraft guns went into action over Agra as the enemy planes were sighted. The attack on Agra was at 9.30 p.m.
The raid on Srinagar was organized by a group of 12 PAF planes, reliable sources said on Friday night.
The intruding aircraft also attacked a military installation 22 kilometers from Srinagar.
After the attack six of the aircraft flew towards the Poonch-Rajouri sector and the other six towards the Uri sector, the sources said.
The planes were believed to have come from the Peshawar base. There was no report of any loss of life.
The air raid alert was sounded twice. The city’s power supply system was switched off during the second alert.
The military authorities sealed off the Srinagar airfield immediately after the Pakistani attack.
Sources said four bombs fell in the vicinity of the installation which came under attack.
A report from Pampore, about 12 km from Srinagar, said a shell fell in that area. The residents of the area observed a blackout.
Friday’s Blatant Pakistani air attack is the culmination of about two month’s of war preparations by Pakistan.
The Pakistani Army was put on a 12-hour alert on October 5 when the Army command ordered the strike force to be prepared to go into action.
On October 12, in a nationwide hookup President Yahya Khan placed heavy emphasis on the “imminent danger of war between India and Pakistan.”
According to late reports, eight Pakistani Saber jets intruded into Indian air space near the border town of Poonch on Friday afternoon.
The planes returned to Pakistan soon afterwards.
Later another Pakistani plane violated Indian airspace flying over Surankote town in Poonch district and Nowshera town in the border district of Rajouri.
Pakistani troops in substantial strength also crossed the cease-fire line in the Poonch area, according to an official spokesman in New Delhi.
A UN observer on the spot witnessed the Pakistani violation and reported the incident.
Pakistan aircraft also bombed Chohtan, a tehsil headquarters town of Barmer district
According to official reports two bombs were dropped on the civil areas of Chohta and six persons were injured one of them seriously.
A short while after Pakistani aircraft had attacked the airports. Radio Pakistan reported the bombardment claiming Indian forces had attacked Pakistani forward positions earlier in the afternoon.
The Radio said the Pakistani aircraft had returned safely to their base.
Radio Pakistan said President Yahya Khan had issued an Ordinance stating that all persons employed in services and those ex-servicemen who were not included in the reserve list were Able to be called up provided they were not more than 60 years old. They would be required to serve with the Army as long as their services were wanted, it added.
An official announcement said all the four West Pakistan provinces would observe blackouts continuously.
The Pakistan International Airlines announced that all its international services had been canceled. These services operate to and from Karachi.
It was stated that rail traffic to and from Karachi would continue.
A Radio Pakistan broadcast tonight elaborated the earlier charge and said Indian forces had attacked Pakistani positions in Sialkot, Lahore, Rajasthan, Rahim-ka-yar and Chhamb between 3.30 and 4 p.m. Indian military activity was also said to have been reported from the Poonch-Uri sector.
The radio said the Indian ground forces were supported by the Indian Air Force. | Pakistani troops also shelled Indian territory south-west of Jammu, according to official sources.
Houses in Jammu city, particularly in Gandhinagar a suburb of Jammu were shaken by the unprovoked shelling.
Pakistani troops also shelled the Chhamb border, which bore the brunt of massive Patton tank thrust in September 1965.
The shelling continued for 45 minutes past midnight.
According to an official spokesman in New Delhi, four Pakistani Mirage had struck Amritsar airport. Three or four hundred yards of the runway was damaged but the airport has not been rendered unserviceable.
The Pakistani troops have also crossed the cease fire line in Poonch sector, Pakistan lobbed 100 shells on Punch town.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 04.12.1971