On the Kapatakko River in East Pakistan
June 18

The liberation front of East Bengal militants' is planning to launch a new offensive against the Pakistan Army during the monsoon season. As proof of this the guerrillas took me into East Pakistan today to show me a “liberated” enclave and belie the Pakistan Government’s assertion that the border is now completely sealed.

With three other journalists — Colin Smith of The Observer, Jan Tystad of Dagbladet of Norway, and Hideo Ishihara of Japan’s Kyodo News Service — I met the freedom fighters this morning at a secret camp near the Indo-Pakistan frontier adjoining West Bengal. The guerrillas usually hit the Pakistan posts in hit and run attacks.

The camp has been set up in a thick grove of trees. As we enter we see a patrol moving out into the jungle with rifles, sub-machine guns and mortars.

The camp, which smacks, of military efficiency, consists of 15 tents, a marquee, a kitchen, and two rows of latrines. The guerrillas — all volunteers and former members of the East Pakistan Rifles —are at company strength under the command of a former officer who was trained at the military academy at Kakul in West Pakistan.

The commander, who cannot be named because his family is still in Dacca, says that there are nine other camps in this sector. We can hear the sound of Morse from a neighbouring tent, and the commander explains that he has radio communications with other camps and Major Osman Choudhury, commander of the south-west sector.

The former Pakistan Army captain is adamant that freedom fighters will not accept any political settlement short of independence. “There can be no going back after what the Army did on March 25. We have lost too many lives, and most of my then have no idea what has happened to their families. This is now a struggle for complete freedom.”

He admits that the' West Pakistan Army has pushed the guerrillas out of all the main towns but says that the liberation front has managed to open up several small enclaves which are now under the control of the Bangla Desh government. He claims that the guerrillas drove the Army out of this particular area about a month ago and the liberation front controls an enclave of about 140 square miles.

His officers offer to take us out with a patrol to inspect the enclave ourselves. We set out in single file with guerrillas armed with Chinese AK47 submachineguns and .303 rifles. As we march through jute and paddy, fields, torrential monsoon rains begin to fall and the area is soon a sea of mud and water.

The West Pakistanis will find it impossible to use mechanized weapons or bring any form of vehicle into this territory. As we cross the frontier near a cement beacon we find ourselves in ankle-deep mud and waler, and we are forced to remove our shoes and march on bare feet.

After about one hour's march we are shown a row of bunkers They are manned by former members of the East Pakistan Rifles, in khaki uniforms and wearing steel helmets. They are armed with machineguns and mortars.
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Demoralization of Army is E Bengal aim
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As we march on, we pass a small burnt-out shop. The guerrillas say that Pakistan Rangers looted it before they were pushed out of the area last month. We go through some small villages which bear no signs of destruction or strife. The guerrillas point to a poster on a shop wall. Translated literally, it reads: “Kill the rumours and kill the enemy.”

There is no sign of a Pakistan military presence. We march on parallel to the border and then back towards an isolated border observation post. The building has been burnt out and is in a state of ruin. The lieutenant commanding the patrol says that the Pakistanis wrecked the outpost before they were forced to retreat southwards.

He tells us that a platoon of freedom fighters are holding the post at present. Pointing to the Kapattakko river below, he explains that the guerrillas control the entire area along the river for six miles on either side of the post.

The lieutenant asks us not to identify the area because the villagers might suffer if the Army were to launch a large-scale attack on the region. He admits that the Army could force the guerrillas out of the enclave if they advanced in great numbers, but explains that to do so the West Pakistanis would have to pull their hard pressed troops out of other strategic areas, which would then be vulnerable to guerrilla activity.

When we return to the secret base, the commander outlines his aims: “We are not planning to confront the Army directly. When they advance we retreat and look for other weak spots. I have four objectives—to harass them as much as possible, to inflict as many casualties as possible, to disrupt their communications, and to demoralize them in general.”

The former captain, who has been promoted to the rank of major, says that he conducted his most successful raid on Pakistan positions at border observations post two nights ago. “We attacked them with mortars and then encircled their bunkers. We launched a surprise attack from the rear and destroyed the bunkers with hand grenades.”

The commander describes how his men move out at night to mine roads and destroy bridges and telephones. “We 'haven't had a single casualty in this area so far”, he adds.

The commander states that arms and equipment seized by his force includes 10 sub-machineguns, three light machineguns, 17 rifles, and two vehicles. He declares: “We have plenty of ammunition, more than enough for six months, and morale is high.”

He denies reports that the Indians are controlling the liberation front’s heavy weapons—but there is no sign of the artillery pieces which the liberation front captured during the earlier phase of the civil war.

There is evidence that a dangerous situation on the border is developing. As we leave the camp, we see Indian Army troops moving into a village nearby. The guerrilla commander points to his men and says: “Tell the world what we are fighting for. We are fighting so that we can see our families again, for the right to live on our own and in peace. Until that is achieved we shall continue to fight.”