From the vantage point of Indian posts on the heights which have been occupied, the mercenaries threaten supply lines to Leh, Indian army positions and installations and the civilian populations of Kargil town and several villages which have been evacuated. The infiltration of mercenaries took place over a period of many weeks and evidently caught the Indian army unawares because the terrain is one of the most difficult in the Kargil sector.

Their initial advantage may embolden the Pakistanis to dig in or to widen their operations. Airstrikes byIAF fighters and helicopters will therefore serve a dual purpose. They make it militarily impossible for the mercenaries to hold and supply their new positions and they reinforce what the Indian Prime Minister has already conveyed verbally to Islamabad -- and before him the Indian foreign ministry -- that Pakistan's attempt to occupy territory on the Indian side of the LoC is unacceptable.

Islamabad has two choices. It can on its own ensure that this foolish adventure is given up and the territory vacated or it can be made to take those steps. Dissembling about Pakistan's role in the operation would be futile. The quality of weapons used, logistical support and presence of Pakistani army regulars all show a Pakistani hand, notwithstanding the neighbour's denials. What is missing is any political or military rationale. Even the most reckless elements in Pakistan's divided military and intelligence establishment must know it is a totally pointless exercise.

They will be deluding themselves if they imagineIndia will sit still while the road to Leh is cut off or that India will accept a compromise of some sort rather than resort to military force to recover territory. Given the factual position of Pakistani violation of the LoC and that the eventual military outcome is a foregone conclusion, there can be no political gains domestically or internationally for the authors of this misadventure.

India is on strong ground in this situation not only for obvious military reasons but essentially because international law and bilateral treaty support India's position. On that basis the government should be able to handle the military and diplomatic fronts with complete confidence. It is in the domestic arena in the midst of an election campaign that special care is called for. There will be time enough later to demand an explanation for why the mercenaries were able to steal a march on India's border forces and to wonder about the fate of the Lahore process. Just now it is essential to keep a level head and avoidmachismo or chest-beating, heightened rhetoric about national security or finger-pointing. There's a job to be done and it is best done calmly and soberly.