Rediff On The NeT: Mukhtar Ahmad reports from the Uri sector

The crackle of mortar fire provides the hellish, human underpinning to Nature's savagery

Mukhtar Ahmad in Uri

Neither gusting, gale force winds nor pouring rain sufficed to damp the heat along the Line of Control, following indiscriminate shelling for the fourth successive day on Monday.

"There has been no let up," says Brigadier Jasbir Lidder, commander of the Uri Brigade.

Recalling the past four days, Brigadier Lidder says Indian troops in the area had been expecting, even anticipating, some trouble on August 15. The firing -- unprovoked, and almost continuous, from heavy calibre weapons -- however, came almost a week later, he pointed out.

"Normally, when this happens, we do not respond unless it gets really heavy. And if it does, they we do it in a calculated manner. This time, we fired back effectively, completely destroying three of their bunkers and inflicting heavy casualties. From our position, we could see their ambulances making frequent rounds..."

Mixed in with the satisfaction of a job well done, though, was regret for the loss of Major Deepinder Bucher and a soldier, both of whom lost their lives in an explosion. "Major Deepinder risked his life and in complete disregard of his safety," recalls the area's army commander.

"He blew up a bunker, from where the Pakistanis were firing with heavy machine guns," recalls Lidder. "Unfortunately, one of the shells exploded near the picket, resulting in grevious injuries to the major and to one soldier. Despite this, the major motivated his men and, with return fire, destroyed the Pak bunker and silenced the HMG. We have physically witnessed their Pando and Khanmori pickets getting destroyed in the retaliation."

Meanwhile, the air of Uri continues to resonate to the crash-bang of heavy artillery -- with the Indian troops retaliating to each fresh barrage with salvoes of their own. Mortar firing into the civilian areas, the brigadier said, resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to a few others. "I don't know why they are firing on civilian pockets, though they know where they are located," he said. "For our part, we provide them all the support we can, though it is true that their normal lives have been badly disrupted."

A group of civilians told this correspondent that they were forced to remain indoors in fear of their lives. "We lost cattle and sheep in the heavy shelling. Our crops were also destoyed," their spokesman Mohammad Ahsan, himself injured in the shelling, said. "The population of our village (Jabla) is 900, and we are all suffering, our houses have been damaged, and our lives are under constant threat."

An army officer told this correspondent that the people of the region had actively helped the Pakistan army during the 1947-48, 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, and to this day remain committed to the restoration of peace.

"Trans-LoC firing of this indiscriminate nature is a common practise for the Pak troops, especially from 1990 onwards," the brigadier said. "The primary idea is to create a climate of disturbance which in turn helps their agents to infiltrate across the border. And Uri, which is located on the traditional Srinagar-Muzaffarbad route, has been a major battlefield in all wars fought with Pakistan, as it forms a strategic gateway into the valley."

The unstated bottomline being, of course, that things are bound to get worse before the get better.

Meanwhile, the winds are fierce as ever, the rain as blinding -- and the thump and crackle of mortar fire provides the hellish, human underpinning to Nature's savagery.

EARLIER REPORT:
On the cusp of conflict

Tell us what you think of this report