IAF loses two aircraft in action
By K. K. Katyal
NEW DELHI, MAY 27. The Indian Air Force today lost two fighter aircraft in the Kargil area - one developed engine trouble and the other was shot down by a Pakistani missile from across the Line of Control in what was officially described here as a hostile act. With that, the situation worsened a notch higher towards the escalation which both India and Pakistan wanted to avoid. It still remained a localised affair and there was no fear of its developing into a war-like situation but the temperature did go up. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, reviewed the situation at a meeting attended by the three services chiefs and the Ministers of Defence and Home, Mr. George Fernandes and Mr. L. K. Advani. The discussions reflected, on the one hand, concern over the latest development and, on the other, the resolve to take adequate measures.
The problem with the two planes began when one MiG-21 aircraft, developed engine trouble around 11 a.m. during the fourth round of air-strikes. Its pilot gave a distress call and ejected from the plane. The second, MiG-27, responding to the call, flew low to locate the pilot and was fired at by a surface- to-air missile from across the LoC. Its pilot, too, ejected. In this process, the two planes appeared to have strayed into the Pakistan- occupied areas and crashed there. Islamabad claimed the wreckage of the two planes was on its side of the LoC and that its authorities had the body of one pilot, who was killed, and captured the other.
New Delhi gave the details of the loss of the aircraft some two hours after officials in Islamabad came out with their version - flashed by the international electronic media - that the Indian planes were shot down after they had intruded into the Pakistan- controlled areas. Had the Indian side been prompt in giving its account, the damage caused by the one-sided propaganda could have been avoided.
India repeatedly stressed that the air-strikes and the ground action to flush out the infiltrators - which continued for the second day today - were conducted strictly and scrupulously well within the Indian territory. Equally emphatic was the assertion that there were no plans to cross the LoC. The Defence Ministry denied the Pakistani allegation that India had dropped bombs on the Pakistani side. ''No bombs were used at all in the operation,'' it said.
At the same time, ''the armed forces'', it said, ''are firm in their resolve to vacate the Indian territory of the aggressors and will take whatever steps are necessary to achieve the objective.'' The assessment of the damage caused by today's air- strikes was not available but yesterday's attack, according to an official account, achieved considerable success (the strikes were ''successful and effective''). Indian pilots, it was pointed out, did a meticulous and professional job, though they had to operate in an inhospitable environment.
After Mr. Vajpayee's hotline talk with his Pakistani counterpart, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, three days ago, there was no report of further contacts between the two. Mr. Sharif had then promised to get back to Mr. Vajpayee. The only concrete point, emerging from that conversation, was the decision to put the two Directors-General of Military Operation in touch with each other. That, as shown by subsequent developments, was of no avail.
According to Pakistani sources, Mr. Sharif and the former Prime Minister, Mr. Inder Kumar Gujral, too, had talked to each other on telephone yesterday. Mr. Gujral, said these sources, called first. Mr. Sharif wanted time to update himself on the fast- changing situation and promised to call back which he did at night. No concrete proposition appeared to have emerged from their talk, though the opening of another channel appeared promising. Today, however, the situation took a turn for the worse.
Mr. Vajpayee discussed the Kargil situation at length at various levels before he went to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to brief the President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan, during an hour-long meeting. Earlier, he also presided over the Cabinet Committee on Security, apart from the review meeting with the three services chiefs and the two Ministers.
The New Delhi-based diplomats followed the situation closely - some of them were briefed by the Indian officials, others sought to collect detailed information from various channels. The U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Richard Celeste, who called on Mr. L. K. Advani, for a ''positive and productive'' meeting, expressed concern over the latest situation.
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