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Remaining intruders will be ousted soon: Fernandes

The remaining Pakistani intruders would be ousted from the heights of Drass, Batalik and Mushkoh sub-sectors any time now, Defence Minister George Fernandes said today.

Fernandes, who was in Chandigarh to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, in a brief chat with Media persons, said: ''Our jawans have engaged the Pakistani intruders, most of whom are regulars.''

In reply to a question, he said the continued occupation of these heights did create apprehensions about Pakistan's sincerity in pulling out its intruders.

He, however, said the officers of the Pakistani Army during meetings with their Indian counterparts had time and again assured that these intruders would be pulled out.

The defence minister said it was not possible to figure out the number of Pakistani intruders still occupying these heights. However, he said they were only ''a handful.''

He said around 1000 Pakistani regulars had been killed during Operation Vijay so far.

UNI

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