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India to continue operations with 'full force'

India today reiterated that its military operation in Kargil would continue with ''full force'' till the aggressors were cleared out and status quo ante fully restored on the Line of Control.

Reacting to a joint statement issued in Washington yesterday after talks between United States President Bill Clinton and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief an official spokesman said ''we reaffirm that Pakistan's armed intrusion and aggression has to be vacated.''

The spokesman also said that India's military action in Kargil, which has been initiated for this purpose, is making steady progress.

On the Lahore process the spokesman said that it was ''direct and bilateral'' and there was no place whatsoever for any third party involvement.

''We have seen the US-Pakistan joint statement issued in Washington yesterday and our interlocutors have informed us that 'concrete steps' referred to in the statement means withdrawal by Pakistan of its forces from the Indian side of the Line of Control,'' the spokesman said.

''We have also noted the sequencing of steps agreed to in the (Washington) statement that only after withdrawal is completed will other contemplated steps be initiated,'' the official spokesman said.

The spokesman expressed hope that Pakistan would heed this call immediately and added that ''we will be awaiting developments on the ground.''

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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