The Divisional Commissioner's (DC) office in Baroo, where Vajpayee was originally scheduled to address a gathering of local residents, was completely destroyed in the shelling. The venue of the Prime Minister's address was then shifted to a hall in the helipad area following the insistence of the Army and the Special Protection Group. Due to the shelling, Vajpayee could not address the displaced people in either Kargil or Minji.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Defence Minister George Fernandes, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Chief of Army Staff Ved Prakash Malik.Significantly, the explosion at the DC's office took place at 12.30 am, the scheduled time for the Prime Minister's address tothe locals. Official sources said Abdullah's suggestion that Vajpayee should visit the marketplace where the office was located was not accepted by the security personnel.

Minutes after Vajpayee landed here by a special Indian Air Force helicopter at 11.05 am, the shelling intensified. As he alighted from the chopper and was moving towards the tent to address jawans, another shell exploded in Baroo, which mostly houses government offices.

The third explosion was heard as he addressed the jawans and the fourth while he was talking to the locals. The fifth shell hit the village as he moved towards the chopper to return to Srinagar after cancelling his visit to Drass.

Vajpayee said he wanted cordial relations with Pakistan but the infiltrators would have to beat a retreat to place that sent them. ``The army is strong enough to repulse any attack and will give a befitting reply to Pakistan,'' he said. An armed aggression had been forced on India which always wanted peace. Hum shanti chahte hain par humyudh ke liye bhi taiyaar rahte hain (we want peace but keep ourselves prepared for war),'' he said.

``Pakistan is laying claim to Kashmir saying that it is a Muslim-dominated area, but it should know that there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan,'' Vajpayee said.

Abdullah too stressed that India wanted cordial relations with Pakistan and pointed out that Vajpayee had taken the first step by going on the Lahore bus. ``But they cheated us.'' The Prime Minister announced a special relief package for the people of the area. Free medicines, food, rations and money would be given to the displaced people, he said. Abdullah, accompanied by local MLA and Works Minister Qamal Ali Akhoon, demanded a special package for the people of Kargil, Drass and adjoining areas. ``People of Drass could not even sow seeds in their land and had to flee because of the shelling.

They should be given free rations for the whole year and free fodder for the animals. The people of Drass will have to be shifted andprefabricated huts built for them at Matayin,'' Abdullah added.

Before leaving for Srinagar, Vajpayee lauded the role of the jawans. ``You are discharging your duties responsibly. We are proud of you. Hundred crore Indians are behind you,'' he said. The shelling continued till much after Vajpayee and the VIP entourage had left Kargil.

A report reaching here from the Pakistan side of the line of control (LoC) said a Pakistani brigadier, some other officers and soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed near Skardu in northern areas on June 10 while on a military mission, an army spokesman told reporters in reply to a question.

Asked about the casualties suffered by the Indian side, an army spokesman said so far 86 personnel had been killed, 228 injured and eight were missing.At least 267 Pakistani army regulars are estimated to have been killed in the Kargil operations, he said.