PAKISTAN/INDIA: REUTERS CAMERA CREW FILM RARE FOOTAGE OF MUJAHIDEEN FIGHTERS IN THEIR CAMP IN REMOTE REGION OF KARGIL /61 YEAR-OLD FLAG MAKER IS GIVEN JOB OF PREPARING SHROUDS FOR INDIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN KASHMIR
Record ID:
1375218
PAKISTAN/INDIA: REUTERS CAMERA CREW FILM RARE FOOTAGE OF MUJAHIDEEN FIGHTERS IN THEIR CAMP IN REMOTE REGION OF KARGIL /61 YEAR-OLD FLAG MAKER IS GIVEN JOB OF PREPARING SHROUDS FOR INDIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN KASHMIR
- Title: PAKISTAN/INDIA: REUTERS CAMERA CREW FILM RARE FOOTAGE OF MUJAHIDEEN FIGHTERS IN THEIR CAMP IN REMOTE REGION OF KARGIL /61 YEAR-OLD FLAG MAKER IS GIVEN JOB OF PREPARING SHROUDS FOR INDIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN KASHMIR
- Date: 30th June 1999
- Summary: AMBALA, HARYANA, INDIA (JULY 1, 1999)(ANI-ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS TRAFFIC, STREET SCENES IN CITY (4 SHOTS) MV EXTERIOR OF SHOP SV GURDEEP SINGH, THE OWNER, FOLDING FLAGS CU SECTION OF INDIAN FLAG VARIOUS SINGH STITCHING FLAGS (3 SHOTS) AMBALA, HARYANA, INDIA (RECENT)(ANI) PAN/CU COFFINS DRAPED IN NATIONAL FLAGS (2 SHOTS) NEW DELHI, INDIA (JULY 02, 1999)(ANI) VARIOUS SOLDIERS MARCHING (3 SHOTS) LV/SV EXTERIOR OF BLOOD DONATION CAMP (2 SHOTS) SV BANNER VARIOUS PEOPLE DONATING BLOOD (3 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 6th July 2005 19:14
- Keywords:
- Location: KARGIL, PAKISTAN SIDE OF KASHMIR; AND AMBALA, HARYANA, AND NEW DELHI, INDIA
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Conflict,General
- Reuters ID: LVAD9J4VYPOF87WMADNE85H31N97
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: In a rare opportunity, a Reuters team has been able to
film Mujahideen fighters at their camp in a remote region of
Kargil on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.The Mujahideen has
never before allowed a television crew to film them.
As the Pakistanis were digging in, India prepared to send
reinforcements into the region.
Despite incessant Indian artillery barrages and jet
bombings, as well as big power moves to dislodge them,
guerrillas on strategic icy heights in north Kashmir plan to
stay there.
Sources in militant groups facing an intense Indian ground
and air offensive for about two months say their fighters went
to the northern Kargil-Drass mountains under a new strategy in
what they call a Jihad (holy war) to liberate Kashmir.
Mujahideen groups say they do not recognise the LOC (line
of control) agreed between the two governments and will not
pull back even if Islamabad asks them to by acquiescing to
pressure.
India says the intruders are Pakistani regular soldiers
and what it calls "Afghan mercenaries", while Western
diplomats say the force includes troops from the Pakistan
army's Northern Light Infantry -- charges Pakistan and the
Mujahideen deny.
The Mujahideen acknowledge the presence in their ranks of
young Pakistani volunteers and Afghan veterans of the war, but
say most of the fighters are Kashmiris, some with Afghan war
experience.
Pakistan vows to honour the LOC, but calls it a narrow
approach to isolate Kargil from Indian intrusions and the
Kashmir dispute, over which the two countries have fought two
of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.
Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations brought
journalists up to an area of Kargil where they claim to have
gunned down two MiG fighter jets, which they say intruded into
Pakistani airspace on June 28.They also showed the positions,
artillery shells and pieces of Indian-fired missiles from the
shootout.
New Delhi regards the whole of Kashmir as an integral
part of India.But Islamabad wants the predominantly Moslem
Kashmiris to decide in a U.N.-mandated plebiscite whether to
join Islamic Pakistan or Hindu-majority India.
In India, a man who has been supplying emblems and flags
to the defence forces for the past four decades, has been
assigned the job of preparing shrouds for Indian soldiers
killed in Kargil operations.
Gurdeep Singh, a 61-year-old maker of flags and other army
insignia, has been kept busy over the last few weeks to meet a
sudden surge in demand.
He has about 50 orders for flags -- to be laid on the
coffins of Indian soldiers killed fighting infiltrators in
Kashmir.
Indian defence officials said on Thursday 207 Indians had
been killed and 389 wounded so far.
Singh, who came to India from the Pakistani town of
Sialkot during partition in 1947, says he has been making
Indian tricolour flags since 1956.
But up to now, those flags have mainly been for
independence day celebrations and other ceremonial occasions.
Undeterred by the loss of 21 soldiers in Kargil early
this week, the Rajputana Rifles, one of the ethnic regiments
of the Indian army, has sent another 350 recruits, some as
young as 16, to the restive Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir
where Indian forces have launched one of the biggest
operations to flush out Islamic infiltrators.
About 200 of these newly inducted soldiers were given a
ceremonial send-off at the Rifles' base in New Delhi on
Friday.
The recruits, who are categorised as "combat riflemen",
underwent a 34-week-long rigorous training, including high
altitude warfare, before they were sent to Kargil.
Meanwhile, a large number of school children took part in
a blood donation camp for the wounded soldiers.
The camp was organised by the Air Force Wives Welfare
Association. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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