Air Force spokesman Group Captain D N Ganesh said reconnaissance aircraft spotted the camp in a shallow valley in the area. The air strikes were carried out by a ``large strike force, and nearby field units have confirmed that the results were very good''. The actual number of casualties and damage to equipment are still being assessed.

The combat aircraft also destroyed another supply camp at Point 5280 in the Kaksar area. Similar attacks were launched in the Muntho Dalo area.

Group Captain Ganesh, who is also the Joint Director of Operations, denied that any Air Force plane had been shot down in the Turtuk sub-sector, as claimed by the Mujahideen in some news reports.

In the last 24 hours, six Indian soldiers laid down their lives and five more were wounded during operations in the Kargil Sector. So far,207 army personnel have been killed and 389 injured during Operation Vijay. And the Pakistan Army has suffered 439 casualties.

Meanwhile, the Ladakh Scouts recaptured a key position held by Pakistan Army intruders in the Batalik sub-sector, said Army spokesman Col Bikram Singh. Last reports from the area indicated fierce fighting is on there and at two positions nearby.

In sub-sector Haneef (earlier Turtuk), Indian troops killed four Pakistani soldiers, who were among a group of 10, moving close to to the Line of Control (LoC).

Colonel Bikram Singh said ground troops are now consolidating their gains after the capture of Point 4470, Knoll, Three Pimples and Lone Hill. Mopping-up operations in this area have led to the recovery of some documents which show that soldiers of the second battalion of Pakistan's Northern Light Infantry (NLI) regiment are also operating in the area.

``It is now clear that troops of the 3,4 and 5 battalions of the NLI are positioned in the Drass sub-sector, while 2,6 and 7are operating in the Batalik sub-sector,'' Col Singh said.

He added: ``Reliable inputs reveal that the 4 NLI is being relieved by 8 NLI in the pockets of intrusion on account of the heavy casualties they have suffered. About 70 soldiers from the 4 NLI have been killed so far.''

Reports from Jammu add that the Army on Thursday recaptured Point 5000, south of Batalik Ridge in a night-long operation. And three bodies of Pakistani soldiers, including a company commander, were recovered in the Drass sub-sector.

In the operation to recapture Point 5000, troops fought a fierce hand-to-hand gun battle before evicting the intruders. While the Army did not suffer any casualties in this operation, there are indications that several intruders were killed. Efforts are on to recover their bodies.