Though the Army successfully occupied the Trijunction Peak late last night, intensive artillery firing continued from both sides. The Indian artillery had launched a major offensive last evening to evict Pakistani intruders from Trijunction peak in Mushkoh.

As many as 90 guns -- both Bofors and 105 mm -- boomed through the night, simultaneously in Mushkoh Valley and Drass. ``The infiltrators were seen vacating their positions on the peaks and running away. We more-or-less have control in the area. In other places too where we know that the intruders are still holed up, offensives are going to be launched,'' a senior officer here said.

In Mushkoh, the artillery provided cover to the infantry soldiers,advancing to occupy the Trijunction peak. Pakistan too resorted to extremely heavy firing and shelling. ``The Trijunction is glaciated from three sides and it made the infantry assault extremely difficult. The role of artillery thus became crucial. The Pakistan defences had to be pounded to pulp,'' an artillery officer said.

``The enemy not only had to be out-fired and out-shelled to facilitate the movement of the infantry soldiers, but we also had to keep their artillery engaged and cut their supply lines. The enemy defences had to be eroded,'' he added. While the artillery kept pounding enemy locations, continuously changing flanks, giving the intruders little respite, soldiers of the 3/3 Gurkha Rifles advanced.

But there are other places where the struggle for supremacy is on between the two armies. ``Take Peak 5353 in Drass, for example. It is located on the LoC and is occupied by Indian forces. But Pakistan has been resorting to persistent shelling and harassing fire (HF). With the Indian troopsoccupying the crucial height, it gives us a good overview into their territory and we can keep a close watch on their movements,'' an officer here explained.

The Indian Observation Post (OP) had noticed enemy movement near Peak 5353. Bofors guns targeted the area to pre-empt Pakistani attempts to gain control.

There are other heights too where fire is being exchanged. Peak 5060 and the Zulu Ridgeline in the Mushkoh Valley sector are still being occupied by Pakistani troops. ``There is no justification for Pakistan to hold on to these points because both of them are well within Indian territory -- between 500 m and 800 m. Here, there cannot even be any argument or controversy about the places located on the LoC. The enemy effort is to redefine the positions on the LoC,'' the officer added.

However, Peak 5070 in the Mushkoh Valley, located on the LoC, was still under Pakistani occupation. Indian artillery shelled it to force the intruders to retreat.

``We don't want them to occupy this height on theLoC and fire down at us. Moreover, as per the agreement between the Director Generals of Military Operations of both India and Pakistan, the troops of both countries are to stay at least one km away from the LoC. So the message we are trying to send across to them is that you don't occupy it and we won't occupy it,'' a field commander at the Drass Brigade Headquarters said.