COLOMBO: India has moved a full division up to the Pakistani border opposite the city of Sialkot, knowledgeable sources said here today [Aug 24]. They said that the movement of the new division doubled India’s strength in the Sialkot sector where the biggest tank battle since World War II was fought during last September’s encounter between India and Pakistan. Previously, India had only one division based in Jammu.

In addition, they said, the Indians have moved two armoured regiments which had been in the general area “closer to the border”.

The sources also said India was now holding a major tank manoeuvre close to the Pakistani border. They said such manoeuvres in close proximity to the border were provocative and would make it difficult for Pakistan not to take defensive measures.

These sources also gave details of what they call “massive acquisition” of arms by India.

They said India was getting about 600 tanks from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. — Special Representative [Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from London,] it is reported from Kuwait that the outcome of the talks held there between representatives of the U.A.R. and Saudi Arabia is a “draft agreement for a settlement in Yemen”. Such news is reassuring, and a compliment to the sincere efforts made by Kuwait to resolve the differences between these two Arab powers.

But it must be assessed against the background of persistent conflict of interests in Yemen and the significant fact that whatever agreement has been arrived at would appear to exclude the withdrawal of the 60,000 Egyptian troops from that country.

It has to be remembered that Egypt and Saudi Arabia have agreed before about ending the war in Yemen, a little more than a year ago. But the fighting has continued; indeed relations between the two countries at one stage deteriorated to the point where Egypt openly threatened to attack Saudi territory.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016