INDIANS CLAIM ADVANCE IN KASHMIR

Chronicle (Levin), 10 November 1947, Page 5

INDIANS CLAIM ADVANCE IN KASHMIR

Received Sunday, 8.5 p.m. LOXDON, Xov. 9. Indian troops have eaptured Baramula from the invaders. An Indian Defence iMinistry cor.imunique announcing this said the Indian forces were [lursuing the raiders westward with eight R.I.A.F. aircraft in support. The fleeing raiders are leaving behind quantities of arms, ammunition and transport. Reuter 's Bombay eorrespondent says the Ra.jkot State forces are reported to have clasiiod for the first time with the forces of the "Junagadh Provisional Governnient" who opposed Junagadh \s accession to Pakistan. The rebel forces attacked Kitiyana where the State forces have taken up positions inside the fort. The. forces of both sides are relatively small and there is lio serious lighting. 'J'he British United Press eorrespondent at Palandria '(Kashmir) says . Mahanmied Ibrahim Khan, a young L'ondon educated lawyer, is leading the rebels trving to oust the Maharajah of Kashmir. 1 1 e said in an interview that he was pinning his hopes on the United Xations or United States intervening in the Kashmir dispute and asking the Indian Government to withdraw its troops. Ilo added: "Unless the United Xations shows itself strong enough to inter\-ene tlie lighting could easily spretid. The Hindus are Faseist mimied aml will eventually seek to dominate the East. There could easilv be a war

between Tndia and Pakistan, and within two years it could flare into another world war." A group of predominantly IMoslem States forming most of Xorthern Kaslimir have acceded to Paskistan, says the Srinagar eorrespondent of the" Xew Delhi newspaper Statesman. The States concerned who expelled the forces of the Maharajah, Sir Hari Singh, are (Jhitral, Hunzayasin and Xagar. They lie between Paniir and Karakorani niountains bordering Afghanistan, Russia and Chiua. The battle for Srinagar is swinging in favour of the Indian troops as the result of a new road driven in secret from "Amritsar through Janimu to the Yale of Kashmir, says the Daily Express's Xew Delhi eorrespondent". The road is now carrying heavy niilitary traffie, including 25-pounder guns, ancj the Indians in their latest engagement with the " Free Kashmir" forces for the first time used all arms. It was not expected that the road

could be- built before spring. The Indian forces were hindered because all their equipment had to come in by air, but every available man was put to work 011 the new road which is now carrying two- wav traflic — niilitary conyoys hurrying north and refugees coming south. The new road leaves

Amritsar and goes eastward to avoid the arin of West Punjab territory along the River Ravi. The Indians threw a Bailey bridge across the Ravi and from there the road runs north-west-ward to J ainrnu, the rebels' old territory covering the other surface route to Srinagar from Rawalpindi through Baraniula. Indian troops which cleared Baraniula pushed on another ten miles to

neur the village of Uri. A niilitary spokesman is quoted by Reuter 's eorrespondent as saying that the main rebel columns of resistance have been cleared up to 20 miles all around Srinagar although infiltratioms migtu continue.