পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৯৫৪

বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ৩৮৮। পাকিস্তান যুদ্ধ পরিস্থিতি দি ষ্টেটসম্যান ২ ডিসেম্বর, ১৯৭১ ঘণীভূত করেছে THE STATESMAN, DECEMBER 2, 1971 PAKISTAN ESCALATES WAR SITUATION THREE SABRES STRAFE AGARTALA: ONE HIT BY GROUND FIRE From Our Special Representative New Delhi, December 2.-- Pakistan further escalated the war situation on the eastern front today when its forces heavily shelled Agartala and followed this up by an air attack on the airfield and civilian installations nearby. Pakistani shells pounded Agartala town for the better part of the morning. The brief post-noon lull was shattered at about 12-30 when three Sabre jets streaked in to strafe the airfield. Official spokesmen here reported damage to life and property. The Sabre jets flew away under heavy ground fire one of them obviously hit leaving dark smoky trail as it changed course towards Bangladesh territory. The Pakistani air attack coming in the wake of the attempted one near Boyra in which they lost three aircrafts has gravely increased the prospects of the border skirmishes losing their localized character and developing into a larger confrontation. Evidence of this was available from Pakistani actions in Balurghat and another area south-west of Agartala as also on the western border both in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir. The Government has taken a serious view of the aerial attack on Agartala and the local Commander there has been ordered to take necessary defensive action. Details of the Indian counter-action were not available up to the time of going to press but from preliminary reports filtering in tonight several Pakistani gun positions have been silenced. The Commander as stated by official spokesman earlier, is free in the circumstances to cross the border if he considers it necessary in terms of the defensive needs of the region. According to eye-witness accounts received in local newspaper offices from their reporters in Agartala Pakistani shelling in the morning was indiscriminate and incessant. In two cases the sound of bursting shells came loud and clear over the telephone even as the conversation with Agartala was on. Pakistani artillery simultaneously shelled Balurghat town on Tuesday killing six civilians. Indian guns fired in retaliation. The same day Pakistani troops fired with small- arms and artillery on Indian positions north-west of Balurghat and north of Balurghat. Men of the Border Security Force returned the fire. Pakistani troops also fired the same day with small arms automatics and artillery at Indian position in Hili. On the western border a Pakistani patrol of four rangers intruded 150 yards into Indian territory north of Ferozpur on Wednesday. Indian patrol fired at the intruders. The