October 16, 2001
New Delhi

Late in the afternoon on 15th October there were two attempts to push through infiltrators.  The first took place in Mendhar and the second in Chicken's Neck in Akhnoor.  In Mendhar they tried to push through two batches of infiltrators while in Chicken's Neck in Akhnoor the infiltrators came across and planted IEDs.  There was retaliation at the local battalion level by the Indian forces.  There was no artillery used only battalion support weapons including 81 mm mortars.  The Bunkers and areas from where infiltration attempts were made are very close to the Line of Control and the local battalion engaged them in an act of self-defence and to defeat infiltration of the Terrorists.  In Mendhar, as at present 11 Terrorists have been killed.  Reports are still coming in. 

To exaggerate this in any other fashion is part of the deliberate disinformation being spread by Pakistan which is not only promoting cross border terrorism but misusing the visit of US Secretary of State Powell to pervert information and cause confusion. 

India remains committed to maintaining peace and tranquility across the Line of Control unless provoked to retaliate in self-defence.