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India kills Pak attempt on Siachen

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

At least five Pakistani soldiers were killed or injured early Tuesday morning when India repulsed Pakistan's attempt to capture a forward post in northern Siachen, at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet.

A group of about 15 soldiers, under the cover of darkness, was seen moving towards the post at around 0100 hours. An alert sentry, Naik Basharat Hussein, noticed them through night vision binoculars at a distance of about 500 metres and alerted the others, a defence spokesman said.

As the foreign troops crossed the Actual Ground Position Line on the world's highest battlefield, Indian personnel engaged them with small arms, artillery and mortar. The Pakistani army retaliated with heavy mortar fire, which, the spokesman said, was an 'indication of a premeditated plan to attack and capture the post.'

"At least five soldiers were hit by our fire and seen dropping to the ground," he said, adding that at day-break a rucksack was found lying on the glacier at about 700 to 800 metres from 'our post.'

The spokesman said marks of bodies being dragged back into Pakistani territory were clearly visible.

This is the second attempt by Pak troops to capture an Indian post in Siachen in the last eight days. On October 18, troops had repulsed a multi-directional attack on a tactically important post. At least three Pakistani soldiers suffered injuries then.

Last year, Pakistan made three unsuccessful attempts on Siachen post. "Pak troops want our posts as they are located on dominating heights and provide good observation into their territory," the spokesman said.

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