Crossfire War - Kashmir Gunbattle Last Three Days - End of Ramzan Offensive

By Willard Payne

Crossfire War - Rapid Fire News=Tehran - Islamabad - Kabul Watch - South Asia Theatre: Tehran - Beijing - Riyadh - Tashkent - Kabul - Katmandu - Dhaka - Islamabad/Srinagar - Arunachal Pradesh - Bengal - Delhi; India Sends Reinforcements to North Kashmir After 31 Hour Pitched Battle - India Establishes New Army Aviation Air Base in Kashmir - New Chief of India Army Visits and Briefed on Kashmir - Fighting Will Increase after Ramzan Holy War Month Ends Mid-October

Night Watch: RANGIWALA - Fayaz Rani, Kashmir news agent for NewsBlaze, reports on Tuesday morning Indian forces were searching an area in North Kashmir acting on reports of four or five Islamic militants present in the area after an infilitration from across the part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. Indian troops then came under intense fire in the village of Rangiwala Khall, Tangmarg area of North Kashmir. The militants are known to be members of a unit based and trained in Pakistan, the Albadar Mujahideen-Bilal Afghani. Their fire was so effective two Indian Army majors have been killed and India has sent reinforcements to the area. [NEWSBLAZE]

Baramulla - KONS reports not only was this the heaviest engagement in "recent times" but the action actually lasted for three days and killed nine Islamic militants. This area is just across the Line of Control, (LoC) which was demarcated in 1972 just one year after the last full scale war between Pakistan/India, their third since their independence in 1947.

The timing is significant since the Muslim Holy (War) month of Ramzan ends in less than two weeks and the festivals, the fasting is used to generate more hatred of non-Islamic peoples. And with Tehran having completed preparations to enter the war this escalation will force Delhi to use its "hot pursuit" policy of attacking the training bases and camps inside Pakistan's part of Kashmir and in Pakistan itself.

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has already planned his "Action Plan" response, which he presented to Tehran in early February as part of Musharraf's nine nation tour. Not only is Tehran ready to enter the conflict but I suspect Islamic warlords in both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan will also enter through their historical invasion route into the sub-continent the Khyber Pass between the Afghan-Pakistan border. Recently crossfirewar.com reported the security - cooperation agreement signed between Islamabad and the Uzbek government in Tashkent. [KONS]

Gurez Sector - A senior police officer informed NewsBlaze the infiltration may actually have taken place September 30 in the Gurez sector of North Kashmir, which is right on the LoC. "It seems that the militant group might have managed to infiltrate into this side of Kashmir from the Pakistan side of Kashmir. Before splitting in small groups and moving to other parts of the valley, they were confronted by the army personnel." I suspect Tehran-Islamabad are attempting to force Delhi into several actions all across the disputed area simutaneously in order to prevent India from concentrating its forces in one sector. [NEWSBLAZE]

In other action there was also an attack on an Indian police patrol in the mountainous area of Doda.

Manasbal - India has just strengthened its defenses and rapid response capability by establishing a new Army Aviation Air Base in Manasbal, Kashmir 20 miles (35 km) from Srinagar. The base will be used by multi-role Advanced Light Helicopters (DHRUV) built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore. The commanding officer is Colonel Rakesh Kapoor who displayed some of the new helicopters performance in formation flying, high gravity maneuvers, small team insertions among other roles. I suspect its first series of missions will be "hot pursuit" of Islamic fighters either attempting to withdraw back into Pakistan's part of Kashmir or by conducting an attack on their bases, including the ones in Pakistan. Islamabad has stated if that ever happens Pakistan will be forced to respond and the fourth war since independence, that began as a low level conflict in November 1989, will expand into full scale (f)allout warfare. [NEWSBLAZE]

Fortunately not all bombs and missiles are going to work. Nothing works as well as advertised, and that is especially true of anything manufactured in mass production including weaponry conventional or non-conventional. The more elaborate the piece of equipment the more prone it is to mal-function, the longer the range the less accurate. Some of course will work.

Srinagar - The new Chief of India Army General Deepak Kapoor is currently visiting Kashmir and is being briefed on the latest developments by senior army officers and police officials stationed in the province. General Kapoor will is also scheduled to hold meetings with pro-India Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Governor Lieutenant-General (ret.) S K Sinha.

They may be aware of the recent declaration by an Islamic spritual leader based in Kashmir who said India's military occupation should end after the Muslim feast day which ends Ramzan. That is why I am certain attacks will increase both in size and frequency in less than two weeks. [NEWSBLAZE]

As India increases its defenses in Kashmir, Delhi has been doing the same in Arunachal Pradesh, India's northeastern province on its border with China. Last November crossfirewar.com reported the statement from Beijing's Ambassador to Delhi saying northeast India is Chinese territory and the following month China-Pakistan held joint maneuvers just west of Kashmir.

China invaded India across the same northeastern border in October 1962, one of the most significant invasions since the Second World War (1939-45) and Beijing is obviously preparing to do so again to take advantage of the current Pakistan/India conflict.

Saudi Arabia also conducted maneuvers with Pakistan in December in the eastern Punjab. That is the reason during the mid-1980s the House of Saud purchased from Beijing 50-60 CSS-2 intermediate range missiles, with a 2,500 miles (4,000 km) range. The sale was mentioned by Reuters Feb. 15, 2004 and by Proceedings Magazine, a monthly publication of the U. S. Naval Institute, I believe in the late 1990s in an article on missile sales to West Asia (Middle East).

Beijing has been definitely the most important supporter of Islamic governments nuclear weapons-ballistic missile programs because China was aware if Tehran and the Jihad were successful then three of Beijing's rivals would become weaker, the West-India-Russia.

Crossfirewar.com reported last week Moscow suspended all military sales and technology of any kind to Beijing.

Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com

   _   _