বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খণ্ড
glasses told the grim story of the savage fighting between the forces of the Sheikh and those of West Pakistan.
Latest reports said that the West Pakistanis were airlifting troops on a limited scale to augment their strength in East Pakistan.
Reports continue to pour in of heavy street fighting in almost all towns of East Pakistan. Awami League's “freedom-fighters" had blown up the Bhairab bridge near Akhaura and destroyed road and rail communications in several places. They were offering stiff resistance to West Pakistan troops despite the heavy toll of lives.
Radio Pakistan, monitored here this morning, claimed, however, that the situation in East Pakistan had been brought well under control “and that the curfew at Dacca was “being lifted." The Radio continued to broadcast the provisions of martial law orders enforced yesterday and warned the people against their violation.
A number of foreign nationals in Dacca and other places in Bangladesh were injured in firings by West Pakistani troops the free Bangla-Radio said today.
At least 180 persons were killed in Comilla in a clash between the Pakistan and Bangladesh freedom fighters early today, highly reliable reports from across the border said. The clash occurred when freedom fighters, raided military armory in the district town. Troops machine-gunned the freedom fighters, who included East Pakistan rifleman, policemen, students and other civilians.
Comilla, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Feni towns were under complete control of the Awami League adds our Shillong correspondent.
A people's army of about 12,000 drove out of President Yahya's army after gun battle this morning. The army detachment crossed the Gumti river. The exchange of fire was going on across the river still late in the afternoon.
In Comilla district several railway bridges had been either blown off or uprooted by the liberation force and several roads cut across to disrupt vehicular traffic.
The army detachments had also been forced to withdraw from Bogra town in northern Bangladesh, and also from Mymensingh town, another report said Army detachment in outlandish areas were running short of ammunition and food.
Several road bridges on the highway between Chittagong and Dacca had been damaged by the freedom-fighters in an attempt to halt further movement of army from Chittagong port to other towns of Bangladesh.
The casualties in Chittagong were said to be the heaviest. The Awami League supporters who seized control of the Chittagong radio station overnight, were still holding it this morning.
In Jessore airport area alone, over 1500 urban and rural civilians, many of them clad in “lungis and banians" were killed by machine-gun fire when the Sheikh's supporter armed with spears, lathis, ram daos and daggers, tried to capture the airport.
