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Massive build-up of Pak troops along border AMMU: The amassing of Pakistan army troops along the international border in the Pathankot-Akhnoor area has sent alarm bells ringing here. According to reports received here, the 6th armoured division of Pakistan's strike 1st corps has moved out from the barracks and into the concentration area along the border. All along the border, right from Pathankot in Punjab to Akhnoor, near here, the Indian forces are on a high alert now.

Intelligence sources said one armoured brigade of the Pakistani army has moved opposite Akhnoor in the Khairi area (of Chicken Neck). A northern command spokesman said some of the Pakistani troops, which have now moved forward, had done so earlier also when the Indian forces were conducting an exercise in the recent past. An Army officer said the forward movement of the Pakistani troops does not necessarily constitute an offensive intent.

This could be linked to the high-pitch rhetoric which emanated at the BJP's Amritsar conference, he surmised. With chief minister Farooq Abdullah making repeated statements that India should attack militant camps across the border, something of this nature was not entirely unexpected, he added.

According to unconfirmed reports, some of Pakistan's air force assets have also been moved to forward locations and were conducting routine sorties. Whether these moves were also linked to the Pakistan army's forward movement was not clear.

Pak army buildup a serious matter: Farooq

Voicing concern over Pakistan's army buildup near the Indo-Pak border, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday said it was "a serious matter and wondered whether Islamabad was preparing for another Kargil incursion. "Pakistan has moved army and tanks towards our border opposite Jammu and this is causing concern. This move is serious", he told reporters soon after shifting state administration here from Srinagar. He questioned the intentions of Pakistan and said "what is Pakistan planning to do here? Or will it be another Kargil they are targetting for?"

Describing the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border as "well under control", he said India should be alert and prepared in view of the Pakistani buildup. He said Pakistan army has been continously shelling our villages and killing innocent civilians living along Indo-Pak border for a long time. "How long we are going to tolerate this? Don't we need to defend ourselves?", he said in reply to a question whether targetting training camps inside Pakistan will lead to a war between the two countries. Earlier, Farooq had asked for targetting of training camps inside Pakistan.

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-- Robert Riggs (rxr.999@worldnet.att.net), November 05, 2001