Kashmir casualties up despite calls to pull out

With 38 Indian soldiers killed in one assault against Islamic intruders in the disputed state of Kashmir, casualties in the two-month border conflict have increased significantly in recent days. Until yesterday the Indian army's casualties totalled 321 dead, 476 injured and 10 missing since fighting to capture key mountain features started in May.

Army officers claim to have killed 92 guerrillas in the attack in the Drass and Batalik areas along the Line of Control with Pakistan. The fighting involved hand-to-hand combat at heights above 17,000 feet and the Indian army says it made significant progress in recapturing large portions of territory. India estimates 661 intruders have been killed to date, explaining that it can arrive at such an exact figure through enemy radio intercepts and body counts.

Delhi claims that the intruders are Pakistani soldiers from the Northern Light Infantry based at Astor in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and that they are fighting alongside Islamic mercenaries, an allegation Islamabad denies.

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighters have used hugely expensive laser-guided bombs against the intruders, who are well entrenched on commanding ridge lines 100-120 km along the Kashmir frontier between India and Pakistan.

Military officials said intensive shelling and daily air force bombing raids have "softened" up guerrilla positions to help some 30,000 soldiers advance up bare, precipitous mountain slopes at night to engage the enemy.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif, signed an agreement in Washington this week, agreeing to "facilitate" the intruders' withdrawal and prevent the conflict from escalating between the two nuclear enemies. President Clinton told Mr Sharif to restore the "sanctity" of the Line of Control and start peace talks with India.

India responded by saying there will be no let-up in its air and ground offensive against the intruders until they are pushed back into Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947 have been fought over Kashmir.

Pakistan holds a third of the state and lays claim to India's portion, where Muslim separatists have been waging a civil war for independence since 1989. More than 20,000 people have been killed in the war.

AFP adds: Pakistani political and military leaders gave their formal backing yesterday to the Washington agreement, saying they would appeal to guerrillas fighting in Kashmir to end the conflict. The chiefs of the army, navy and air force supported Mr Sharif's agreement with Mr Clinton to try to persuade the fighters to withdraw from strategic heights they have seized.