ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Indian army, backed by Mirage-2000 fighter planes, launched an attack on Thursday night on Pakistan army positions in the Gultari sector, 30km from Skardu.

“Vigilant Pakistani troops engaged Indian troops and caused heavy casualties running into dozens of personnel,” ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi told a press conference on Friday.

The Indians’ attempts to reinforce the attack failed because of accurate fire by the Pakistani troops, he added.

“Unable to make any headway, despite losing dozens of personnel, the Indians in their frustration resorted to a highly escalatory act by bombing the area using the air force.”

The Inter-Service Public Relations chief said that Indian planes had carried out four to five sorties to bomb Pakistani positions at an altitude of 16,900 feet.

Describing the use of India air force to target Pakistani positions as a highly escalatory act, Maj-Gen Qureshi did not rule out the possibility of the clash spilling over to other areas.

Last time the Indians used their air power during the Kargil conflict in 1999, losing two fighter planes.

The ISPR chief did not give details of Pakistan’s response to the air attack and violation of its airspace. “They moved in and moved out,” he said.

About the exact number of casualties suffered by the Indian army Maj-Gen Qureshi said it was in two digits.

In reply to a question about the number of troops used by the Indian army, he said 70 soldiers were involved in the attack.

Giving the latest situation in the area, he said an intermittent exchange of fire was going on and the Indians were unable to retrieve their bodies.

Pakistan army, he said, did not suffer any causality.

Reflecting on the causes of the attack, the ISPR chief said India perhaps wanted to show the world that the situation was still tense thereby creating an excuse for keeping its troops on border.

Maj-Gen Qureshi recalled a similar incident in July when India had initially admitted little casualties. But, later they had sacked one of their commanding officers for conducting a highly grievous operation.

On the deployment of troops by India, he said a frustration was setting in among the Indian soldiers and added that the number of incidents where Indian troops had revolted against their commanders was increasing.

The ISPR chief said that the Indian army was under tremendous pressure for having failed to have any face saving.

On India’s denial of any such attack, he said it was their pattern to refuse or conceal an incident where they got beating.

He agreed that the timing of the attack was significant as the US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage had arrived in Delhi. In reply to another question, he said Pakistan had been exercising maximum restraint and trying to avoid any conflict with India.