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IAF, ARMY Take position
on Kutch Border
Indo-Pak
border, Kutch: Indian Air Force and the Indian Army have deployed troops
at strategic positions in a 50-km belt along the 500 km long state border
with Pakistan.
The defence forces have been
so deployed that they can advance to the "operation area" at short notice.
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Arms found in
Jamnagar
Jamnagar: Two self
loading rifles and 700 rounds of ammunition hidden in a ditch were
recovered by the customs officials from Jamnagar coast in Saurashtra
on Sunday.
Acting on a tipoff
the officials carried out a searchnear Roshitra port and recovered
the arms, deputy commissioner of customs Ashu Zindal told reporters
here.
The joint patrolling
by customs, police and Navy had been intensiled along the 325 km-long
coast following the developments in Kargil, he said.
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The Air Force and Army troops
have been brought in from Swac - Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Baroda and other cantonments
in the state.
However, the defence sources
maintained that forces were deployed in the border district of Kutch for
routine training exercises.
On further questioning they
said the deployed forces would execute "ready to combat" exercises that
is routinely conducted by the defence wings during the course of a year.
But, the timing of the deployment
points at the fact that it has been done as a precautionary measure to
thwart off any ambitious military action by Pakistan in border areas other
than Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir.
The morale of the defence
forces stationed at Kutch is high and they are ready to face any hostility
from across the border. "We will finish them this time," said a jawan
from Kerala. Another from Punjab said, "I am going to retire next year
but I want to teach the enemy a lesson before I leave."
Several artillery brigades,
tanks and equipment of the signal corps have been stationed at strategic
points in camouflaged condition in the Kutch desert. The Air Force too
is on maximum alert and like Kargil has been ordered to play the role
of "vanguard on the border" if the need arises.
Life can be pretty tough
for soldiers in the desert with temperatures soaring and dusty winds almost
a routine occurrence every day. The jawan’s only means of entertainment
is the good old radio as one jawan puts it.
"We used to listen to the
world cup commentary, but now with India out of contention, we listen
to news," he said.
And obviously curious he
asked about the developments of Sartaj Aziz’s visit to New Delhi and how
the things have turned out after the first round of diplomatic talks.
Bhuj City, however, is totally
untouched by the military developments on the border and life is pretty
normal for the civilians.
Day-to-day activities in
the city go on as usual with people meeting at the chai shops to
discuss the state of affairs in the country even as the Indian defence
forces are on a maximum alert with their morale high.
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Compiled from local news media
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